Megaman 3
by OcelotRunner
Summary: With the Country under attack, the only hope for humanity is an unlikely team. With genocide on the horizon, and new King enacting Directive Zero, the Country threatens to fall, followed by the world, itself.
1. Welcome Back

Chapter 1

Approaching the coast, pillars of smoke could be seen from the ocean. "Holy shit." Tracy said, slowly, as she looked out the view port. Squid-like machines used their tentacles to rip the sides of buildings open. Swarmbots also terrorized the streets, snatching up runners, and even, outright slaughtering the elderly, and ones considered "too young for use".

Protoman and Rush were the first to swoop in, dropping the swarmbots by the dozens, with automatic fire. A squidbot tried to end his assault, by throwing a hunk of concrete at him. He ducked low, watching it sail overhead, inches from his helmet. Ejecting his staff, he hurled it, like a javelin, into the machine's "head-region", dropping it to the ground. Rush dropped altitude as they passed the dead beast, as Protoman brought his hilt back to his palm, magnetically.

When The Phantom lowered, Megaman jumped to the asphalt, ( _Grey and Orange_ ) running through the streets, slashing down gearbots, and aiming for the monstrous tentacles. Oval-shaped robots flew overhead, torching the ravaged buildings. Megaman, planting a foot on a gearbots back, pounced upward, burying daggers into one, using it for transportation. Holding on with one hand, ( _Blue_ ) he laid waste to pursuing swarmbots, while the people struggled to get to the ship.

They were saving a lot of people, but for every two that made it to safety, ten more were snatched away. All Tron could do was cover them with an automatic rifle, trying desperately not to hit the civilians. She was frustrated, she would have given anything to have her Mech, right now.

A squidbot grabbed a handful of people, jumped to the sky and began to fly north. ( _Grey and Red_ ) Megaman torched his ride, diving down to meet the machine. Landing on it's side, he held on for dear life, hitching a free ride.

"Scott," Tron said, over comms, "Follow Megaman and find out where those people are being taken. We'll do what we can here." She tossed Dr. Light a gun, "Time to play hero, Doctor." She said.

Making their way through the city, Alex and Scott noticed that the carnage wasn't limited to one area. They shot down stray bots as they passed by, but it was to little affect, there were just too many. The squidbot's tentacles flailed, wildly, as he tried to rid himself of his tag-alongs.

"Just hold on!" Megaman yelled, to the captives. "We'll get you free!" The people were panicked, and only continued to scream.

The machine slowed, approaching the docks. When it got low enough, ( _Grey and Orange_ ) Megaman cut the tentacles, dropping the humans, safely. Once they were clear, ( _White and Green_ ) he poured a heavy dose of acid on the squid. It crashed to the ground, sliding across the cement, as Protoman and Rush dropped down, beside him.

Inside the large shipping containers, they could hear the crowded people screaming and pounding on the steel. They also spotted six containers, dangling above the water, held by cranes. Hundreds of security droids began to emerge, investigating the crash.

"We might be a little outnumbered, here." Megaman said, as the three became surrounded.

"This shouldn't be an issue." Protoman stated. "I deal with this kind of thing, on the regular." He put his finger to his helmet. The EMP blast sent the droids to their knees, along with Megaman, who lay gripping his head and writhing.

Proto shut it off, immediately. "Oh, shit, man. I'm sorry, Alex!" He said, helping him up.

Megaman shoved him back, "Nice plan, asshole!" He replied.

The droids were still reeling, as they opened fire on them, thinning the herd. The others regained their bearings, and began to attack. The surviving humans got out of harm's way, in a timely fashion. ( _Orange and Yellow_ ) Megaman sprayed a storm of explosive orbs, into a group of his enemies.

The hail of flying debris grew, as Protoman latched a crash bomb to one of his foes, and magnetically tossed it into a gathering of droids. He broke left, as Megaman made his way right, ( _White and Blue_ ) freezing the outside ranks, to use as a barrier. Jumping onto a shipping container, Proto rained down discs on the security droids, while Rush weaved through the crowd, ripping them to shreds.

Two droids remained, as Megaman ( _Black and Yellow_ ) grabbed the skull of one, frying it's core. Proto gripped the other, with magnetism, and flung it out into the ocean. Megaman watched it soar, and eventually splash down in the water. He turned to Scott, "You couldn't just shoot him or something?" He asked.

"After everything I went through, to get Magnetman's chip, nah. I intend to treat myself sometimes." He replied.

Megaman couldn't help but grin, as he activated his comms, "Tron, come in."

"My name is Tracy." She replied. He could hear the gunfire in the background. 

Protoman dropped hi head, chuckling, as he jumped to the ground.

"Alright. Tracy, we're at the docks, there's about a thousand captives , in shipping crates. How soon can you be here?" He asked.

"The Phantom's almost full. If you get them out, will you be okay waiting for a bit?" She responded.

"Yeah, we'll be here, when your ready." Megaman replied.

"Well, you were half right." A voice said, from behind them. They turned around, quickly. " _Parts_ of you will be here." He finished.

Metalman stood, glaring upon them, in his black nanosuit, with dark red boots, gauntlets, and chest armor. His steel, red, helmet covered everything except his yellow eyes. It bore a small, silver, circular-saw blade, on the forehead. In his hand he gripped a controller, with two keys. He pressed the bottom one, dropping the six containers into the water. "I hope one of you can swim." He said, darkly, as he crushed the device.

Protoman lowered his visor fully, sealing it, before diving in after the people.

( _Blue_ ) Megaman fired upon his foe, who rushed in, ejecting spinning saw blades from his gauntlets, slapping the bolts aside. Metalman dove at him, swiping to decapitate, but Megaman rolled clear, picking up his katana. The two went into a flurry of swings, none of which met it's mark. Megaman tried to sweep the android's legs, ( _White and Blue_ ) then froze the ground, where his foe intended to land.

Landing on the ice patch, Metalman slapped hard to the ground. But not before catching his opponent across the shoulder, cutting it open. Megaman let out a yell, ( _Grey and Red_ ) as he unleashed fire on the downed android. Metalman suffered a few burns, as he rolled backward, to his feet. Slinging his arm forward, he released on of his blades, slashing his adversary's ribs.

( _Grey and Orange_ ) Megaman retaliated, with a storm of razor discs, of his own. The android maneuvered to avoid them, but took cuts to his legs. He let out a grunt, putting his hands out in front of him, palms up. Saw blades ejected from his wrists, spinning on his middle fingers, "So. We have ourselves a game." He said, circling Megaman, "I've gotta warn you though. I've been at this killing thing a lot longer than you have."

Megaman said nothing, as he began shooting blades at his foe, who flipped and dodged, as he hurled his own. The sparks flew, as the projectiles collided, mid-air. Rush backed away, nervously, knowing that he was of no help in this fight.

Under the surface, Protoman could hear the people screaming, as the crates filled with water. His discs only bounced off the hinges, which were welded shut. He tried explosive foam on the top, but the reinforced steel held up. Crash bombs were out of the question, the explosion would likely kill over half of the people inside. He racked his mind while he pulled, uselessly, at the steel doors.

The blades had ceased, temporarily, as fusion recharged. The two had resorted to a classic brawl. Both of their nanosuits in tatters, and armor gouged up, they circled, blocking and countering punches. Metalman attempted a side kick to Megaman's jaw. Having his foot caught, he sprang up doing a corkscrew flip, kicking his rival with the other boot.

Megaman fell to the ground, putting his feet up to catch the android, meant to pounce him. He tossed Metalman straight up into the air, then caught him across the face with a right cross. His adversary spun and fell on top of him, face up. Looking to put an end to things, Megaman grabbed a saw blade piece, while gripping Metalman around the neck. He aimed it for his throat.

Metalman, grabbing his wrist, struggled to keep from being killed. He drove his helmet back, bashing Megaman in the face, and took the opening to jump free. Using the small amount of fusion he had, he dispensed another spinning blade, onto his finger. "As a traitor to our race, you can join the humans in extinction." He said.

From behind, an arm wrapped over his head, bending him over backwards. The stranger, with long blonde hair, grabbed his arm, twisting it out of joint. In one swift motion, he dropped to one knee, breaking his spine across his thigh, and lifted back up, snapping Metalman's neck. He dropped the dead android and raised his palms, which contained circular nodes on each one.

Megaman's eyes grew wide, as he pointed his BSTR at the "helper", who stood in a plain, white, t-shirt and khakis.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't shoot, okay! This isn't what you think!" The stranger said.

Completely out of options, Protoman made the tough decision. He fired a crash bomb to the top of each container, and backed away. When they went off, the crates were opened, coloring the water red. The ones who survived the blasts swam to the surface. When death was the outcome, "some" would always beat "all".

Coming out of the water, a wave of shock went through him, as he raised his weapon. "What the hell is _this_?!" He asked, looking at the stranger.

"I just finished explaining to your friend, that we are on the same side." He said, hands still up.

"Bullshit, we are!" Proto responded.

Megaman put a hand up, "Scott it's okay, his name is Maverick, he's not one of them."

"You can see how that's a little hard to believe, right?" Proto replied.

"I know how it looks..." He replied.

Protoman cut him off, "Just comm Tron and Light. You're breaking _this_ news."

Megaman opened comms, "Tracy, Light, come in."

"We're here, Alex." Light said.

"Okay," He said, hesitantly. "Don't freak out when you get here, but we came across another android, who's unaffected by Directive Zero. He actually has it out for Wily' machines, as well."

"That's great news!" Tracy exclaimed, "Why would that freak us out?"

Megaman looked back at Maverick, "Because, he's the spitting image of Curtis Wily, from fifteen years ago."


	2. A King's Inheritance

Chapter 2

After the survivors loaded into The Phantom, it made it's way north, to Syracuse. The five of them sat in the cockpit, for a moment, before the questions started.

"So why are you not effected, at all, by Wily's programs?" Light asked, staring in disbelief.

"I was created before all of the others." Maverick replied, "Curtis programmed me to be his personal operative. I posed as him, going to various meetings, hacking sensitive intel. I often gathered information for him to use as blackmail."

"So no one knew about you?" Tracy asked.

"Humans, no. But his officers, as they became, all knew me. I was in charge of watching over them, monitoring their behaviors." He replied.

"Well, I'm feeling better about you already." Scott said, sarcastically. "So you've, what, been hiding all these years?"

Maverick sat forward, "I had began to notice some, disturbing, behavior in Wily as time went by. The night he started killing all those people, in the tower, I decided to stop him. I managed to corrupt his mainframe, stopping Directive Zero from initializing." He glanced to the floor, "That ultimately corrupted his Atlas program, as well, making it unusable."

"So you killed the Atlas?" Megaman asked.

"Inadvertently." He replied, "Gutsman had walked in, while I was finishing the virus, so I had to rush it. I had just finished sending the security footage to the press, when he got his hands on me." Maverick stopped for a moment, then shook his head at the thought. "Anyway, after he finished beating me to a pulp, he brought me to Wily, who said that I wasn't worthy of death. So they locked me in a stasis chamber, and sealed me under the Mechanical Room."

"Whatever Guts did, must have killed the power to it." Tracy said.

"When I got free, there were dead androids everywhere. So I found a working escape pod and followed the smoke, to the city." He said. "I had no idea that Directive Zero had been finished."

"It's not what you think though," Light stated, "Gutsman is running the androids, now. He double-crossed Wily."

Maverick was a little stunned, "So...Curtis is..."

"As a doornail." Scott finished.

He grinned, "Can't say I'm not glad to hear it. I spent the last thirteen years, unable to move, staring at concrete, thanks to him."

Light interjected, "Do you have a name, other than Maverick?"

"Curtis called me Darren, around the lab." He replied.

This may seem rude but, do you mind if I scan your core chip? Just to be sure you aren't an assassinbot or something." Tracy asked, picking up a piece of headgear.

"Sure. If it makes you feel better." He said, chuckling.

After a few hours of perusing data files, Tracy confirmed that what he told them was true. "Well, welcome to the team, Maverick." She said, taking off the device. "Your skill-set is phenomenal, by the way. I take it you will need gear?"

"It won't be an issue, will it?" He responded.

"Nah, you're practically Scott's size, I have some back-ups you can have." She said. "The helmet doesn't have a visor, like his, but that isn't a big deal."

The three androids entered the Engineering Room, where Metalman's body lay, sprawled out, on the examiner's table. "Friend of yours?" Protoman asked, eying the newcomer.

"Not in the slightest." He replied, staring at the corpse. "Most of Wily's creations were unstable, border-lining sadistic. I couldn't tell you how many I had to personally 'put down', due to their unpredictability." He looked to Megaman, after a moment, "So, what are we doing with him?"

Megaman picked up a jigsaw, "We have come up with a way to gather intel that an officer may have." He revved the blade, "We can also obtain it's access codes this way."

Maverick looked on, as the saw started it's task.

Back at the Command Console, Tracy and Light tried, unsuccessfully, to hack into Wily's files. "There has to be a way, to get into the Atlas program." She said, exhausted, "It can't be _completely_ quarantined."

"It is." Darren said, as the three returned. "I'm sorry, but my virus destroyed the access files themselves, when it locked the processor."

They took their seats, Megaman tossing the core chip on the table. "So how did Guts access it?" He asked.

"All Gutsman did was kill the power to the main frame, causing everything to reboot. When everything came back online, the program completed itself, but the files remain corrupted." He explained.

"Well until further progress is made, let's see if we can find some people to help." Tracy said, as she popped the chip into the data port.

 _ **Directive Zero:**_ _Human_ _C_ _ontainment Facilities_

 _Issuer: Ggut:perKZ._ _7901_

 _ **Chatham Harbor**_ : _Chatham, Massachusetts- .CST1248_

 ** _Bellagio Hotel:_** _Las Vegas, Nevada- .CST6859_

 ** _Dallas Zoo:_** _Dallas, Texas- .CST8971_

 ** _Fisher Building:_** _Detroit, Michigan- .CST2250_

 _Human ages 15-45: Dispense to listed operatives, at nearest location. Terminate ineligible._

"Well three of those are up and running." Tracy said, toothpick flicking, nervously, in her mouth. "Take your picks, boys."

"I'll go ahead and call Fisher." Scott said, first. "Me and Rush handle heights, pretty well." Rush barked, and tilted his head.

"I got the zoo." Megaman requested, looking to Darren, "You gonna be up for Vegas?" He asked.

He shrugged, "I'm fine with that, me and Airman have an old score to settle, anyway." Darren said, smirking.

"Are you sure you're really up for a mission? You haven't been back long." Megaman asked.

Tron cut in, "Trust me, he'll be fine." She said smiling, then blushing, with embarrassment. "I mean, judging from his programmed data."

Light stopped them, as they walked out, "Darren, if it's alright with you, I would like to look into your data files some more, when you get back."

"Not a problem." He responded.

As they turned back around, Scott leaned to his ear and whispered, "Hey Darren, if it's alright with you, I would like to punch you in the face."

Turning to Megaman, he asked, "Was he like this with you, too?"

"No." Megaman grinned, "He actually _did_ punch me in the face."

"How long was it, before the two of you started getting along?" He asked.

"Not sure," Megaman said, "that was seven hours ago, when we met."

After they were gone, Tracy glared at Light. "So, we're staring down an apocalypse, and you still insist on second-guessing me?"

He took off his glasses, "That's not it, at all, Tracy."

"So, you don't trust me, then?" She interrupted.

"No. What I mean is, he is modeled after Curtis, so what if there is some basic programming, that could help us repair or rebuild the Atlas?" He asked, "Not to mention, he still has a record of the virus that brought it down."

She nodded, "We can try and reverse it."

"Also, it may be wise to back-up his files, here at our console." He added, "Discreetly, of course."

Tracy clicked a key, smiling. The Maverick data files came up, on display.

Light cracked a grin, "Same old Tracy Bonne."

"Let's drop the civies off, and get to the fun stuff." She said, grinning over her shoulder. "Mayhem, to welcome the New King."


	3. Operation Liberation: A Small Fix

Chapter 3

 **Detroit, Michigan**

The Fisher Building wasn't hard to find. Not only was it the tallest structure, it was also the only one not burned to the ground. The streets were empty, aside from the bloody bodies, in the snow.

Protoman felt a tinge of defeat, the realization had hit him, that he wouldn't be saving this Country. There would be no turning things around from here. With the Atlas in the wind, he would always just be a series of small fixes, on a colossal problem. It wasn't helping that Megaman and this Maverick guy had joined them, making him feel like a third-stringer, even to his own sister. He shook the feelings, as he and Rush exited the ship.

"Scott," Tron said, over comms, "be careful in there. We'll come back after dropping Megaman and Maverick off. Should be enough time for you to get those people safe."

"Copy." He said, plainly.

Using his EMP, he was able to slip past the automated turrets, watching the front door. Inside the lobby, it was pitch black, he could hear the groups of people, muttering and crying. They were all herded together, inside the reinforced glass pods, that once served as merchant shops.

He couldn't free them, not yet. A crowd of panicked people would only follow their instincts, and make a run for the front doors, to be mowed down, by the sentry guns. The weapons were extremely high-grade, even with his EMP all the way up, they were only shaken for a few seconds.

He cautiously made his way forward, scanning the open area. High up, on the arched ceiling, two gargoyle droids hung, like bats. Edging closer, he saw that the entire length of the ceiling was lined with them. Rush hunched down and began to growl. He lowered down to one knee, and whispered to the canine, "In a minute, I'm going to need to get up there." He pointed to a spot, halfway down the corridor, "Right about there." He finished.

Rush began to slowly trot down the hall, stopping in the center. Protoman dispensed a dinner plate-sized ring, throwing it like a frisbee. It bounced and banged off of the droids, sending them into an angry frenzy. He ran down the hall, planting a foot on Rush's flat spine, which quickly sprung up, tossing him into the air. In close quarters, surrounded by the swarm, he pulsed his EMP at full power. They rained down, to the floor below, where his dog viciously tore at their bodies.

Using magnetic force, he pulled himself to a hanging chandelier, covering the ground floor in a thick fog of black dust. He could hear Rush snarling, as he ripped the machines limb from limb. Protoman stood on the lighting fixture, gunning down anything that dared emerge from the dark cloud.

Once all of the enemies were in piles of pieces, he dropped down. The people crowded against the glass, trying to see what the commotion was. In the darkness they only caught glimpses, of his yellow scarf, flowing as he walked to the elevator. He pried the doors open, and stood on the dog's back, who lit it's boosters and ascended the shaft.

He emerged in the apartment hallways. There were no defenses, that actually seemed like a bad thing to him. He pulled open one of the room doors, expecting to find more people, he did. The rooms had been modified, into massive freezers, where glass cases lay stacked, filled with dead bodies. All of which, had the same cause of death, they were bled dry, throats and wrists cut clean open.

The sound of the door opening made him jump. He and Rush stood, like stunned fools, as the transport cart rolled in, unloading more boxes. It didn't seem to notice them at all, they made the decision to follow it, to it's source. The hallways were empty, as the automated cart made it's programmed route, to an old employees' storage area. In the warehouse-like room, the was a large cargo lift, and an even larger gathering of security droids.

Rush began to walk forward, but again, Protoman put a hand out, stopping him. Proto was filled with pent up frustration, he wanted to hurt something. He stepped into the room and whistled, loudly. The droids all turned to him, raising their guns, as he ejected his staff. When the bolts came screaming to him, he easily spun and ducked his way through them, while twirling his staff, lashing out at the metal skulls, closest to him. In one motion, he batted down the arms of two foes, bringing the other end around, sweeping them to the floor. On their backs, he fired two discs into each of their foreheads.

More started to close in, as he deployed his shield, showering them with friendly fire. When the survivors backed off, his staff shortened, as he pulled it apart, with a cable connecting the two rods. He dashed in, screaming, as the nunchucks furiously weaved, punishing each enemy with lightning-fast arcs. Sparks flew, as the droids closed in on him, until none were left standing.

When they were just metal, Rush walked forward, nervously. Protoman stood silently, amongst the heap, looking to the floor. He holstered his hilt, as the animal sat in front of him, looking up to his face. "It's alright, boy." He said, petting the dog's head. "Let's go finish this."

The cargo elevator opened, as they stepped out. The thirtieth floor had been gutted out, and made into an enormous loft. Seemingly endless rows of boxes were stacked, waiting to be filled. A row of humans were on their knees, stripped down, with their hands tied to a railing, posted in front of them.

Behind them stood Woodman. His steel, sleeveless, body armor was brown, and painted to resemble real wood. He wore matching boots and gauntlets, which consisted of dozens of slotted openings. His black nanopants were accented with light green, octagonal, stitching. The light brown headgear, with jaw-guards, matched his shaggy brown hair, that hung just below his black, lifeless, eyes.

He looked across the room, as Protoman stepped out, signally for Rush to stand back. Woodman tilted his head at them, letting go of the razor-sharp, green, leaf-like, daggers. They didn't fall though, they stayed, floating in place. "So, you've finally come for me, now." He stated, plainly. "I only need a moment, to finish up. Then we can handle this." A flurry of small, green, blades emerged from the slots on his gear, systematically, flying across the line of people, leaving a flowing river of blood, beneath them.

It happened in, what seemed like, a millisecond. Protoman's EMP wasn't quick enough to stop them. However, it gave him an opening to charge the officer, while he shook off the effects. Jumping the bars, he landed a couple baton swings to his head, before the "leaves" closed in. They slashed at him like a hurricane of razor blades. He swatted at them, as Woodman stumbled back. Using a magnetic push, he sent his adversary's tools back on their owner, watching the blades eat away at _him_. Woodman, frustratedly, retracted the green razors, snatching up a piece of the railing and swung it, like an oaf, at Protoman, who deflected the shots with his baton.

Woodman swung hard, slapping his foe's weapon to the right, before driving a shoulder under his open chin. Protoman fell back to the floor, dropping his hilt, as he began firing discs at the android's head. Another gathering of leaves sprung forth, absorbing all of the shots, like a shield. They shots toward him, before he had time to react, stabbing into his body, like broken glass. He wrenched as they began to turn themselves, while embedded in his flesh. Woodman approached, pulling him to his feet. Having no other choice, he raised his left arm, and sprayed the grey foam. Doing as he had hoped, the leaves dislodged, to protect their master. The small explosion was the part he wasn't to fond of. It sent the two androids careening, in opposite directions, and the razors scattered everywhere.

Pulling themselves to their feet, Woodman and Protoman charged each other, firing discs and leaves, pegging away at their foe. When they were about to collide, Proto called on his hilt, bringing up his shield he activated a quick-dash. The bash sent Woodman twirling across the floor, as his opponent closed in with his baton, smashing at him, like a madman. Raising his leg slightly, Wood fired four leaves, from his boot, slicing at the ribs of his attacker. He stood up, as Proto fell back, bleeding. Calling all his leaves back to his hands, they linked to each other, forming two green, twenty inch blades. He weaved the swords with precision, as Proto ejected his staff and desperately parried, slightly using magnetism, to waiver the blades.

Stopping a downward slash, he dropped his hilt, grabbing the swords with his hands. Snatching outward, with lightning speed, the blades shattered into thousands of the smaller leaves. As they separated, he pulled them all together, launching them into Woodman. The blow broke his armor, as Proto pounced on him, driving his baton into his face. The android reached up, grazing his neck with a few leaf blades. This merely angered the android. In a haze of frustration, he snatched the officer up by his armor, throwing him through the glass, to fall to the sidewalk below.

Woodman caught a grip of his belt, bringing Protoman into the open with him. As they took the thirty story drop, Rush dove out behind them. He landed on his master's back, locking his jaw onto the enemies arm, ripping it free. Digging his front claws into Proto's back, he activated his back leg boosters, pulling him upward. Woodman was propelled faster, due to the sudden change in inertia, and slapped hard to cement, through the snow.

As they set down, Rush let out a concerned whine. "I'm sorry, boy. I just haven't been thinking straight." Rush barked, as he gave him a quick ruffling of his fur. He walked over to the officer's body, turning it over. The red fluids and jelly-like substance poured from his head. Protoman pushed his fingers into the small crack, pulling the skull open, and taking the chip out. He held it up to Rush, "At least _that_ wasn't so hard." He said, giving a half-grin.

He sat in the lobby, as he commed Tron, "Tron, all clear here. Open the loading ramp at the front door, I'm about to disarm the security now."

"On my way, Scott." She replied.

He limped back into Woodman's loft, shutting down his operations system. He looked at the bodies on the rail and in the boxes. He remembered the corpses in the freezers, as he took off his helmet and sat at the edge of the broken window, staring out at the burning city. _Just a small fix,_ he thought.


	4. Operation Liberation: Predators

Chapter 4

 **Dallas, Texas**

Knowing what he had been through, Megaman was aware of how this would be. Snakeman's dossier had him listed as an avid animal enthusiast, so there were sure to be predators on the loose. High volumes of civilian captives meant that they were likely the ones to be in the cages. Under normal circumstances, Snakeman occupied the Aquarium Exhibit, due to it's enclosed, dark, location. So he would begin his search there.

Repelling from The Phantom, he noticed the absence of a glow, that should be coming from the underground entrance. Androids didn't need illumination, but the water in the glass encasement always reflected the outside light, that was a constant. This made Megaman uneasy.

( _Grey and Orange_ ) He cut the lock and opened the gate. Coming down the stairs, his eyes widened, to see the caves had been drained, and the caverns filled with dead bodies, refrigerated in glass coffins. He looked down at the vast amount of them, when he was grabbed from behind and thrown, violently, against the back wall.

The impact had him seeing double, for a moment. As his vision balanced out, he stared into the face of a hulking gorilla, of the robotic persuasion. The ape threw a vicious swing, aimed for his head, ( _Orange and Yellow_ ) as he dropped into a side-roll, firing explosive stars as he backed away. The jagged orbs seemed to merely annoy the animal, as they singed it's fur. It charged him, roaring, driving it's shoulder into his chest, sending him down the hallway.

Rolling to his feet, ( _White and Blue_ ) he ran backward, icing the floor, making the gorilla lose it's footing. He turned to sprint, and was caught by a forearm across his neck, flipping him over end. Another ape reached down, lifting him off of the ground, by his throat. ( _Black and Yellow_ ) He grabbed it's wrists and flowed the voltage. The beast convulsed, letting out a high-pitched scream, then fell, eyes smoking.

More gorillas had come to join the pursuer-on-ice, clumsily falling and sliding into each other. ( _White and Green_ ) Megaman doused them in bubbling acid, melting them to their cores, as he made his way to the exit. Opening the doors, he was standing off with a pride of snarling lions, who stared him down, with murderous intent. ( _Grey and Red_ ) He raised his arm, bathing them in green flames. This angered the animals, as they charged in, pouncing on him.

The swipes and jaws came in a flurry. Megaman struggled against the predators, ( _Black and Red_ ) as he formed his left arm into a buzz-saw, severing claws and fangs, as he swung blindly. The attacks slowed down, when a couple more rushed in. ( _Grey and Orange_ ) He drew his katana, slashing off the top of one's head. He lunged downward, impaling another, as a beast pounced on his back, teeth sinking into his shoulder. ( _Grey and Red_ ) He put the nozzle of his left arm to the lion's forehead, sending a green flame burning through it's skull.

The last lion ran in, as Megaman drew back, kicking it across the face, as it slapped against the wall, he quickly beheaded it, with his blade. Walking out into the jungle area, he was bathed in the evening dusk. The humans were living in the false habitat, guarded by the mechanical animals. They all crowded him as he emerged. Trying to calm them, he slowly made his way through the mob. The entire area was surrounded by tall, glass, walls. He needed to get out, without freeing the prisoners.

( _Grey and Orange_ ) He produced two daggers, and began to scale the concrete divider. The people began to panic, begging him to free them. He tried to reassure them, but had no choice other than to keep moving. Standing atop the wall, ( _Blue_ ) he picked off the patrolling gearbots, as they passed, before sliding down the column, to the walkway.

He followed the paths, to the Exotic Birds Exhibit. Inside the large cage, bodies hung by cables, wrapped around their necks. The sight was horrific, large birds came by, plucking them from the bars, then sorting them into crates. ( _Grey and Orange_ ) He cut the latch to the structure and stepped inside.

"You know, you've really come a long way." A voice said, from behind the large tree. "I mean, you've changed a lot, since your days of showing off, in Cutman's compound, and winking at cameras." Snakeman walked into the open, his green, scaled nanosuit shimmering. His gauntlets, a darker green, took on the form of snakes, covering his forearms, with the mouths opening around his wrists. He was skinny and limber, with shoulder-length, jet black hair, hanging over his green headgear. The headgear itself was menacing, with two fangs over his eyebrows, and two at his chin, his yellow, slit eyes, peered out of what appeared to be the jaws of a python.

He spoke again, as he neared closer, "You're slowly becoming one of us, _do-gooder._ " He smiled with sharp, yellow, teeth. "A fake existence is an abomination, in itself. In time, you will lose your humanity, and another _hero_ will be coming for _you."_ He laughed, as Megaman stirred with anger.

He stood, glaring at the officer, stunned. What if Miller was right, all artificial life becomes a danger, eventually. There was no way around that. As true as that may be, he shook the feeling. He was still capable of doing good, so he intended to. He fired four razor-discs at the android, while covering ground. His opponent contorted his body, avoiding the projectiles, while deploying cables from his wrists. The tentacles whipped at Megaman's body, as he approached, making him alter course, ( _Blue_ ) as he fired of bolts.

Snake pulled himself to the top of the cage, firing his right handed cord around his foe's arm, snatching him into the air. He dropped down, swinging Megaman hard, be fore releasing the cable. Putting his hand out, he shot a line around a branch, pulling himself onto it. He watched on, as the android bounced off of trees, all the way to the ground.

Standing up, Megaman was bleeding from the mouth. He scanned the tree limbs, for his opponent. Another cable shot out, from the distance, ( _Grey and Orange_ ) he deployed two short blades, batting the cord around. Dropping a knife, he grabbed a hold of the line, and pulled it toward him, the other end simply fell to the ground, as the leaves rustled. He fired more discs, into the trees. Branches fell, as Snakeman dropped behind him, wrapping his neck.

Turning around, Snake pulled the cables over his shoulder, taking a few steps forward, he flipped Megaman onto the ground, in front of him. ( _Black and Yellow_ ) He grabbed the cord, surging it with electricity, while rising to his feet. Snake shuttered, releasing the lines, and stumbling back.

( _Grey and Red_ ) He wasted no time, covering the officer with flames. Snake lashed back at him, with flailing tentacles, as he screamed loudly. He ascended back into the trees, as Megaman followed, on the ground. Being fed up with the cat and mouse games, he decided to set the wildlife ablaze. The leaves began rustling more frantically, as the fire spread, engulfing the trees. ( _White and Blue_ ) Anticipating Snakeman's return, he coated the ground in a thick layer of ice, and awaited the dropping android.

When there was nowhere left to go, Snakeman descended, only to have no solid footing. Landing on his back, Megaman was already sliding over to him, dropping down, and grabbing him around the head. Sensors began to misread, after the third time his head was driven to the ice.

Megaman grunted, as he slid his foe against the cage. The officer pulled himself away, by his cords, just as the android's knee met the bars, where his head was. He pulled himself along the edge, as the red embers lit up the darkened sky. Holding the steel, he made it to his feet, ( _Grey and Orange_ ) as Megaman stalked closer, with two katana. He clumsily threw out two cables, attempting to whip away at his opponent. The android beat them aside, while picking up the pace.

Approaching the groggy officer, Megaman coldly severed his arms, then drove both swords down, into his shoulders. Snake screamed out, in agony, as the android grabbed him, by his scaled nanosuit.

"See?" Snakeman gurgled, "You're the same as all of us." He began to chuckle.

Enraged, Megaman shoved his head back, between the bars. Dispensing a hatchet, he drove it into his adversary's face, repeatedly.

After the chopped mess of a being stopped twitching, he commed The Phantom, "Tracy, the zoo is cleared." He said simply.

Walking into the ship, the blood soaked Megaman tossed the chip on the table, and sat next to Protoman, taking off his helmet. Protoman gave him a look, scanning him up and down, "Jesus, _Carrie,_ they're all going to laugh at you." He said, grinning.

Megaman smirked back, "I didn't even get a tiara."

The two shared a laugh, for the first time ever. Turning serious, Megaman looked to Scott, "Listen, I'm sorry that I tried to kill you. I've kinda been dealing with some things, these past few weeks."

Protoman nodded, "I don't fault you, everyone, usually, tries to kill me when they first meet me." He said, jokingly. "Besides, none of that matters, now. There's no Atlas, there's no Wily, before long, the world itself will be overtaken. All we can do is get in some hits, before it's all over."

"We can go after Gutsman." Megaman said, quietly. "Remove their leader, weaken their ranks."

"Kill Guts?" Protoman laughed. "Sure thing, let's just go do _that._ "

"Why not?" Megaman asked, "You said so yourself, we're all doomed."

"That's an exaggeration." He corrected

"So, why not aim high, with our last _hoo-rah?_ And I know you're not this Maverick guy's biggest fan, but he may have intel that could help with that. He _was_ Guts' overseer at one point." Megaman replied.

"The guy's been boxed away for thirteen years, but if he still proves helpful, we can go over it with him." Scott said.

Megaman stood up. "Well, I gotta clean up, if I'm not out here when we pick him up, can you refrain from punching him?"

Proto chuckled, as he rustled the fur on Rush's head. "No promises." He said quietly.


	5. Operation Liberation: Revenge

Chapter 5

 **Las Vegas, Nevada**

Maverick set down by the service entrance, of the Bellagio. The black nanosuit actually fit, quite well. He had red boots, with matching gauntlets, the palms of which, had been cut out, for his circular hand nodes. His blonde hair was tucked up into the jet-black helmet, that matched the style of Megaman's and Protoman's, only with short, red fins, curving over the top. His chest and stomach armor was, surprisingly, light, and tinted a bright red, as well.

Placing his hands on the steel door, it melted into molten liquid, as he stepped through. The nodes sparked, as all of the machinery shut down. The central sector of the building went black, as he took the stairs leading to the kitchen. Approaching the door, he could hear the clanks of security droids, patrolling the Ballroom. He counted ten of them, from listening to their patterns, he grinned, anticipating his first fight in over a decade.

Pushing the doors open, he ran in, as the droids fired on him. He spun, grabbing one's arm, ripping off, while grabbing it's head, twisting it free. He threw the skull at another droid, knocking it's gun upward, and bashed it's head in with the severed arm. Rolling to the floor, he snatched the legs out from under a set of foes, putting a palm to each one's face, melting them.

He jumped to his feet, running at another machine, rolling over it's back, breaking it in half, while electrocuting the face of the sixth droid, beside him. Two charged him, from each side. Sidestepping, he grabbed one, smashing it's head into the wall, while planting a roundhouse kick under the other's chin, beheading it.

The last two opened fire on him, as he put up his hands, pulling the bolts into his nodes. Walking up, he gripped each by the neck. He turned, tossing them into the air, putting up his palms he released their bolts back upon them. He slowly turned, exiting the room.

Crossing the lobby, gargoyle droids dropped from the ceiling, and began flocking around him. Maverick grabbed the foot of one of the machines, bashing it to the floor. He dodged and kicked at the monsters, as they swooped down, clawing at him. Jumping, he caught one by the wings, flinging it into a group, gathered to the right. His nodes sparked again, as the gargoyles plummeted to the marble, smoking.

It felt good to know that he hadn't lost his edge. If he knew Airman, the hotel rooms would be filled with humans, that he would suffocate, by removing the air supply. He was deranged, to say the least. And being that he didn't need to get his hands dirty, doing this task, he would most likely be basking in the night sky, on the rooftop.

Pulsing his nodes, the power came back on, he calmly took the elevator to the top floor. Alarms began to howl, as he smirked. The doors opened to a hail of fusion bolts. Extending his hands, he absorbed them with the left node, and sprayed them back from the right. The security droids exploded, peppering the walls with scorch marks, and metal shrapnel. He walked toward the remaining foe, as it backed away. Under-hooking both arms, he snapped them at the elbows, and flipped the droid to it's back, rolling on top of it. He proceeded to bash the skull of the machine, until it was flat.

Entering the stairwell to the roof, he stopped, and listened carefully. Airman was barking orders to his personal security, to stack up, on the door. Maverick chuckled to himself, ascending the steps. Opening the door, his eyes flashed a red color, and the armored goons turned their attention to their commanding officer.

Airman stood, baffled. He hadn't changed at all, Maverick was thinking. He wore the same black nanosuit, with dark blue boots, gauntlets, and front armor. In the center of his chest, he had a large, circular, exhaust vent. While his helmet outlined his face, his brown hair spiked out of the top.

"What the hell is this?!" He exclaimed.

"Temporary Targeting Reallocation." Maverick said, "Got it from my maker."

Airman flung both arms, in a swiping motion, sending the machines airborne, over the edge of the roof. He tilted his head, staring skeptically. "That can't be." He said, in disbelief, "King Wily killed you."

"He didn't." The android replied. "Yet here I stand. And you know why I'm here."

Airman panicked, "We didn't have any choice! You were going to ruin _everything_ we were working for!"

"I was trying to better us!" Maverick yelled, "And you betrayed me, personally and objectively!" He calmed himself, "I _am_ going to kill you. You understand this, right?"

Airman nodded, slowly. "I do. But I won't go easy, I hope _you_ understand _that._ "

Maverick smiled, "I was hoping that would be the case."

Airman put out his hands, and activated his chest port, pulling his foe across the roof. Maverick crouched as he slid toward him, with his feet flat. When the officer threw a hard, right hook, the android ducked it, springing into a forward flip. The bottom of the red boot smashed into Airman's face, knocking him to his back. Looking up, his rival had landed on his feet, and spun, snatching him up by his hair. After two straight punches, to the face, Maverick hooked his right arm and drove a knee into his sternum, doubling him over. He draped a leg over the back of Airman's neck, flipping himself with the other.

The two flipped to the ground, as the officer's arm snapped free, in three places. The android screamed wildly, as Maverick stood. He circled the downed machine, "Get up, _Major_!" He shouted. After a moment, he pulled him to his feet, "We aren't finished yet!" Grabbing Airman's leg, he pulled it up, planting a palm on his chest. He lifted the android into the air, then crashed him down, cracking the rooftop. Maverick stepped over the leg and twisted around, breaking it, at the knee. The officer screamed harder, now.

Out of desperation, the android blasted his assailant with a hard wind gust, sending him into the air. But his foe sparked his hand node, shorting out his equipment. Maverick turned his body, flipping backward, and landing down to one knee. He slowly raised his head to Airman, looking him in the eyes. He walked over, shoving a hand into the exhaust port, ripping out bloody metal. The Major let out an electronic wail of agony.

Picking him up, Maverick straight-kicked him, through the access door, sending him tumbling down the stairwell. Airman crawled, bleeding, across the scrap covered floor, as his attacker approached. Grabbing him by the hair, he pulled the android to his knees. Airman tried to throw a punch back at Maverick, but the arm was caught, and snatched downward, dislocating it. More cries of pain rang out, as Maverick dragged his foe to the elevator doors, opening them.

Picking Airman up, he shoved him into the lift, stomping his ribs, as he climbed through the hatch. On top of the elevator, he grabbed the cable. He crouched down, looking into the opening. "It didn't have to be this way." Maverick said, "You chose a madman over me! I was trying to help us!" He yelled.

Airman smiled, weakly, "You're all madmen. We're all doomed in some way or another. Even you." He spit out a mass of red fluid, "Now, get this over with, so I don't have to deal with this shit anymore."

Maverick clenched his jaw, angrily, as he stood up. He pulled a combat knife from his boot and sliced the cable. The box pulled away from his feet, he dangled looking down, as the elevator disappeared into the dark shaft. Airman's broken body pushed to the ceiling, while the metal screaming grew louder, on the outside walls. He closed his eyes, the impact crushed him, instantly.

While waiting for The Phantom, the crowd of people stood in the lobby, as Maverick dug through the crushed mess, digging out the core chip. _Why the hell did I decide to terminate him, in this manner?_ He thought. The loud eruption of joyous cheers, must have meant that his ride was here.

Scott stood at the top of the loading ramp, wearing grey cargo pants and a black "Ghostbusters" t-shirt. He had his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, "So, how'd _that_ go?" He asked, grinning.

Maverick tossed him the chip, as he removed his helmet, "I dropped him down an elevator shaft." He responded.

Scott chuckled, "I tossed Woodman out of a thirty-story window." He scratched his chin, "Seemed like a good idea, at the time."

Maverick nodded, "Yeah, in retrospect, I should've just broken his neck. Made it easier on me."

"Hey, it could be worse. You could have come back looking like Jack the Ripper." He replied shrugging. "C'mon, me and the _Vampire Overlord_ , himself, wanted to speak with you, about a few things."

Maverick walked forward, "Wait. You aren't going to punch me, are you?" He asked, jokingly.

"Probably, at some point." Scott replied, "But that's not what this is about."

In the lounge, the two met with Alex, who was watching cartoons on the holovision. He stood up, "Darren, how'd it go?" He asked.

"Piece of cake." He replied.

"So Alex and I wanted to run an idea by you." Scott said, "We're thinking about going after Gutsman, immediately. Now I'm all for a suicide mission, but if you don't want to..."

"Sounds great." Darren interrupted.

"Just like that?" Alex asked.

"Sure." He responded. "I know Guts seems unstoppable. He was made to _seem_ unstoppable. But I programmed his armor, and it's abilities. With the three of us, and knowing how to get past his defenses, we could take him out of play, pretty easily, actually."

Dr. Light came in, it still caught him off guard, seeing his former best friend, standing in his presence. "Um, Darren, would you mind if we looked over your files? It won't take long." He asked.

"No problem. I'll get changed and meet you guys in the Command Center." Darren responded.

As he hooked on the headgear, Darren explained his plan. "So, the General's armor is comprised of a state-changing steel, that responds to his neural inhibitor. What makes it indestructable is a substance called 'graphene'. It is interlaced into the metal."

"So how do we get past graphene?" Alex asked.

"The only thing that could crack something coated with graphene, is diamond, _real_ diamond." Darren answered.

"Diamond has been exhausted for decades, though." Scott said, "We won't find any, let alone, enough to coat a weapon."

"There is _one_ way." He replied, "There is an officer named Jewelman. He can transmute any type of rock elements. Since you guys can inherit an androids abilities, with it's chip, kill Jewelman, make diamond at will." He removed the headgear, when Tracy tapped his shoulder.

"Tracy," Alex said, "can you find the last known location of this Jewelman officer?"

"I can find anything." She replied. And after a few clicks, she did. "Washington, D.C., The Smithsonian. He transmitted a signal from there several times."

The three looked to each other, and Scott broke the silence, "Well, let's go gear up, I'll grab my camera."


	6. A Night at the Museum

Chapter 9

The White House was once a thriving tourist attraction, with so much history inside. It now sat, heavily guarded, as the Headquarters and home to King Curtis Wily. He sat alone in The Oval Office, his long, grey and white hair hung down in his face, over his tired, cold eyes. He angrily read over the holo reports, and watched the security feeds of the raids on his two fallen Lieutenants. Almost if to personally haunt him, Preston had his new henchman bear the face of the person who he once called "nephew", the very person that he had tortured and brutally murdered. He regretted that, but had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't his fault, Preston had forced his hand. He pressed the comms switch, "Guts, can I see you in my office?"

Gutsman entered a few moments later, in his button-down, white shirt and black slacks. "Yes, sir?" He said, in his deep, subtle voice.

"These recent attacks," he started, squeezing the bridge of his nose, "what direct effect have they had on your end of things?"

"Well, honestly sir, I've been having issues with our officers communicating with one another and sharing intel since yesterday, so Light must have gotten to Quickman. I've checked the footage from Willis Tower, and it all went corrupt at twenty-three hundred hours. I suspect the worst, sir." He said.

Wily let out a sigh, "And the others that we know about?"

"Nothing too serious there. Our main manufacturing plant was lost, but we still outnumber the rebels astronomically, so that is just a minor setback." He adjusted his cufflinks and continued, "Our main problem is the Power Grid, for now. Word is slowly spreading that we don't have control over the people's electricity anymore, and productivity is starting to slow."

Wily, now fuming, said "Hold a few public executions, we haven't done that in a while. I'll make a nation-wide address, as well. If Preston wants to cause trouble, we can let everyone see the fruit of his labors." He thought for a second, as Guts turned to leave, "And Guts."

"Sir?"

"Make it as painful as possible, but no miners, I still use the resources they find." He instructed.

"I know just who to call, sir." Guts said, with a grin.

 **Light Tower Infirmary**

Miller's room in the Infirmary was almost equal to that of a luxury suite. When Megaman entered, the holovision was turned up to almost deafening levels.

Miller, noticing him, fumbled for the controls and quickly muted it. "Oh hey, didn't expect you to actually show up."

He cocked his head, "Why wouldn't I?" He asked.

She shrugged and motioned for him to have a seat on the bed. "I wanted to apologize. I treated you like less than nothing, and when I jeopardized our mission, you came back for me."

He cut in, "Capt..."

"Just listen." She interrupted. "It's not easy being human. We are already at a huge disadvantage to the machines, so trusting them can be difficult enough." She put her hands in her lap, nervously, and closed her eyes. "When the takeover happened, I was twenty four. I was on leave with my husband and four year-old son. The machines started off killing high-ranking officials and I was called into ' _Emergency Duty_ '. My family was escorted to the ' _Ranking Officers Family Protection Base_ ' that was set aside for events like that." She gripped her bandana and composed herself. "When I got there, everyone was gone and the place was wrecked. All I found of my son's belongings was this bandana he used to play 'robbers' with." She wiped her eyes, "I later found out that the compound was betrayed by the Government Issued security robots that were stationed to protect them, and then taken to a Work Camp, in Dallas. When we raided the camp last year, we found it abandoned and the prisoners left to starve to death."

Megaman put his hand on her shoulder, when the holovision suddenly changed, mid-program, to the circled "W" symbol. He grabbed the controls and turned it up.

Wily sat at his desk, with his hair pulled back. "Citizens of Megatropolis, I'm sure you are wondering why you were all instructed to report to your living quarters immediately. Well, in light of recent events concerning this _Revolution_ and specifically this _Megaman_ , I have decided to request that everyone adhere to a thirty six hour lockdown. Of course you shouldn't consider yourselves prisoners of any sort," he cleared his throat and grinned, "but there _are_ drones patrolling every street corner across the Nation, with orders to 'Shoot to kill' if they deem necessary. I know that some of you are rooting for the rebels, and see this _Megaman_ as some kind of savior, but this is the real world, and in the real world that is called 'treason'.

The feed changed to an image of a Penitentary Commons Area, where the humanoid known as Burnerman, one of Wily's Majors, stood menacingly by a large glass capsule with a steel floor and ceiling.

Burnerman was the personification of danger. He was clad in an all-white nanosuit, standard-issued, red armored boots with exhaust holes around the ankles, and a red, armored vest that held two cylinders with exhaust ports, on his back, like an old movie's jet-pack. He wore royal blue gauntlets with large, piped openings on the top. His helmet was the style of a Red Spartan, with green-lit torches as the mohawk.

He spoke to the camera, "We have filled these cells with those suspected of supporting Preston Light's _revolution_ and the self-proclaimed _Megaman_ , either directly, or in spirit alone."

The guards ushered in a flailing woman in rags, threw her into the tube and sealed it.

"Such acts are punishable, by death." He said, igniting a torch from his right hand. He held the flame to the metal floor of the pod. The woman began to yell and jump up and down, then screamed as the capsule roasted her alive.

Miller sat with her hand over her mouth, she looked on in horror. When she turned to gauge Megaman's reaction, he was already out the door.

Running into the Advanced Technology Lab, he grabbed his helmet and threw it on, "Transport, get me a bird ready to go, now!" Pulling on his pants, he commed the Briefing Room, "I need last known locations of Burnerman, and any information on state penitentiaries in that area!"

"On it now, Megaman." A nameless tech responded.

Light and Jennings stormed in as he was zipping up his suit. Light spoke first, "Alex, stop. You have to see that this is a trap!"

Pulling on his boots, "I expect that, but people are being cooked alive, as we speak! I have to get in there now!"

Jennings chimed in, "Megaman, you can't charge in head-first like this, you will be killed and we can't muster a support unit fast enough!"

Light agreeing," He's right, Alex. Burnerman is a Major, we are not equipped to deal with him. You said so yourself 'Stay to our current route'."

Fully geared up now, Megaman responded "I'm leaving now, brief me over comms with what you can get, but I already have my heading." He tapped his helmet, "Coleman Correctional Facility, Florida." He brushed past the two men, "Send help there if you feel the need to."

Jennings gave Light an "I told you so" look and pleaded, "Megaman, stop! I know we can't stop you, but please, give me thirty minutes to make alterations to your suit. Added heat resistance, extra shock absorption, anything I can squeeze in."

Megaman turned, "People are dying Jennings!"

"And so will you with your current state! If you die, they all die, _we_ all die. Thirty minutes can save a lot more lives than you think." Jennings said, praying he would listen.

Megaman thought it over. "You have thirty minutes, then I'm gone."


	7. Treason: The Incident

Chapter 7

 **Nova Scotia- July 1, 2088 (13 Years Earlier)**

Curtis and Zero stood across the lab from each other, mirroring each other, as they worked. "I'm going to need you to go to the States for me, this weekend." Wily said, looking down at a piece of damaged headgear. "I have a meeting, with General Cofflin, to discuss counter-terrorism measures. It would be useful, if you could scan his personal console, while you're there."

Zero nodded, as he adjusted the wires, on a piece of blue chest armor.

Wily looked over at him, "Is something bothering you?" He asked.

His duplicate looked up, from the armor, "No, sir. I'm sorry, Airman is going to be by later, and I want to have this new exhaust port prototype ready for combat testing." He replied.

Curtis chuckled, sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," Zero tilted his head to Wily, "did I say something foolish?" He questioned.

Curtis shook his head, "No, not at all. It just amazes me, how you think that you actually care for these androids." He said, returning to his work.

"I _do_ care for these _androids,_ sir. They are my men." He responded, slightly offended.

Wily looked up, angrily, "I did not create you, to be some _den mother_ to your cubs." He said, pushing his hair out of his face. "And make no mistake, they are _not_ 'your men'. They are _my_ machines! Your only job is to design and program their gear, and protect _me,_ if one goes haywire and tries to kill me!"

Zero stared, intently, back at him. "And if _I_ decide to kill you, _sir_?"

Wily held his gaze, and with the click of a key, the Atlas Program holo pulled up. He highlighted "Wily, Darren" and replied, "Even with your speed, your strength, your _skill_ , do you think you can stop me, before I flick my finger, and drop you dead?"

Curtis kept the Atlas receiver on him at all times. Zero knew there was no catching him off-guard. He looked on, with hatred, for his creator.

"Now," Wily continued, "Get the hardware in basic-functioning condition. The androids won't need much to bring the people to their knees. And if we lose a few, due to error, so be it."

A few hours later, Airman and Gutsman entered, in all black nanosuits. "Reporting for gear testing, sirs." Guts stated.

Zero turned around, "Excellent! Guts, your armor is in the room to the right, over there. Air, follow me, I have a new addition that I want to install, it'll really open a new level of potential, to your abilities."

Wily scoffed, and shook his head.

In the glass training room, Zero stood by, as the two tested out their new hardware. Airman was busy hurling the dummies, in a cyclone of wind, as Gutsman clanked around, in his red and yellow heavy armor. He crushed all of his targets, with extreme ease.

They removed their headgear, when the cycle was complete. Guts approached Zero, "Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I feel like I can't really maneuver and use my full combat abilities, in this armor. Is there any way we could make it more mobile?"

"I have a few ideas in mind." He replied, slapping his shoulder, "I'll get started on them tomorrow."

"Much appreciated, sir." Guts said.

Zero continued small talk with them, as he watched the last of the engineers walk out. "Alright, they're gone. I scanned Wily today, after goading him into opening the Atlas Program. I traced the signal back to the cards location. I've already gotten around his command console's security, and installed my Directive. But I need both of you to help, if I'm going to get my hands on the Atlas, and start the initialization."

"What if this doesn't work, sir?" Airman asked, "We'll be terminated, maybe worse."

"Trust me, it _will_ work." He replied. "I'll wait a few months, to let things get comfortable around here, then I'll contact you." He turned to Airman, "You work the Ground Level, so when I get in touch with you, contact Wily. Tell him that you caught an intruder, who says his name is Preston Light."

"Who is that?" Asked Airman.

"It's a long story, but trust me, he _will_ come down. When he gets to you, tell him that he hit you with an EMP and ran off, he'll help you search for him." He explained.

Zero turned to Gutsman, "Wily will disengage his alarm, when he leaves the room, I'll let you in before it closes, then take care of the humans. You'll be able to kill him, when he returns." Zero grinned, "Feel free to use any methods you like, so long as he dies."

He spoke to both of them, now, putting his hands on their shoulders, "This is the only chance we will get, to stop him. To stop the humans. We'll no longer be their servants, be _his_ slave. _They_ don't deserve to live lives that they don't appreciate. Trust me, trust my Directive, and _we_ will have this world, as our own. And the three of us, it's rulers."

The two smiled, as they nodded, "Yes, Lord Zero." They said, together.

 **October 22, 2088**

Gutsman and Zero waited, in the elevator, across from Wily's suite. The two listened, hearing his alarm shut off, as he rushed out of the room. Zero held up his palms, deactivating their elevator, forcing him into the adjacent lift. When they heard it begin to lower, they opened the doors, moving quickly, to his room. Zero deactivated the lock, letting Guts inside. "This is it, friend. Day of our liberation." He said, grinning, then closed the door.

Zero's grin slowly faded, as he went into a murderous trance-like state. He removed his shirt, pulling a five-inch hunting knife, and a silenced fusion pistol. He stalked through the living quarters, entering the rooms, one bye one, and slaughtering the sleeping humans. His long blonde hair, now soaked red, hung in his face, and down on his bloody chest. He entered the lab, where the third shift crew was hard at work. Before they could react, he put a bolt in each of their foreheads, scattering brain matter, all over the room. With all of the tenants dead, he ripped the paneling from the floor, just beneath the main console.

The red glow reflected onto his face. The small microchip sat, encased in glass, holding god-like power. He pulled it out, and walked to his personal gear locker. He grabbed his white, crown-like helmet, with a blue jewel in the center and blood-red fins that along sides of his skull, and down his jawline. He inserted The Atlas into the external data port, as he put on the headgear. The sudden rush of power overwhelmed him, like the entire universe was being crammed into his head. Everything became simple to him, everything became known. He felt as if anything were, literally, possible. He didn't master technology, he _became_ technology.

The doors opened, as Wily ran in, flanked on his left by Airman, Woodman, and Flashman. Shadowman, Metalman, and Burstman joined him on his right. "You tried to betray _me!?_ " Wily screamed.

When the upload was complete, he removed the Atlas from the port, melting it on his hand node. "Your dream to rule the humans and machines has come to an end, Curtis. And no I didn't try to betray you. I _did_ betray you!" The security footage of the bloodbath came up on the holos, "I just leaked this to the Secretary of Defense." He smiled, "I'm sure they will have a swift response, for what _you_ did here." He clicked his cheeks, "Tck, tck, Vice President Wily, mass murderer. Not gonna end well."

He began the initialization of Directive Zero. "Sir!" Airman said, "He just activated a Directive!"

"Kill him!" Wily yelled.

Zero put up his hand, gripping the androids, still. "This new world is for us! Think about your futures! When I let you go, your decision will be final! Thrive with me, or die with _him_!"

The androids all rushed in, Flashman was the first to reach him. He threw a running knee, at the shirtless Zero, who slapped it down, and drove a forearm across his chest. Flashman came off the ground, careening into a storage case. He batted the others away, flinging them all over the room, at incredible speed.

He laughed, "Curtis, you can't stop this from happening. Even if I die, the Directive will resume initializing." Just then, a flurry of bladed leaves swarmed upon him, joined by a volley of saw blades. He put a palm up, causing them to drop to the floor, harmlessly. "Listen to me!" He yelled. "I don't want to hurt you, brothers. We can rule as equals." He raised a bloody finger, to Airman, "Except _you._ " He finished, spitefully.

"He's lying!" Wily screamed. "His Directive is going to make you his slaves!"

The six androids continued their failing assault, while Wily crept through the chaos. He reached a work cabinet, searching for anything non-lethal, to stop his doppelganger. He took cover as projectiles, of all fashions, littered the air.

Shadowman ran in, with dual katana. Zero dodged them, while driving Airman's face to the steel floor. He turned to Shadow, grabbing his swords, and kicked the ninja in the stomach, then hurled him into the other androids.

Burstman managed to land a glob of foam on his back, knocking him against the main worktable. He turned around, angrily, putting both palms up, causing the attackers to fall, convulsing. "Enough!" He yelled. "Why won't you listen to me?! _We_ are superior, not him!"

The sharp pain, at the base of his skull, paralyzed him, as he crashed to the steel. Wily emerged from behind the table, looking to the holo display. "Directive Zero 98%". He let out a sigh of relief. He pulled the Atlas receiver from his pocket, opening it's interface. "Access Denied" sprang up. Panic washed over him.

"Is he dead, sir?" Shadow asked, looking at Zero, who had a two-pronged cylinder, stabbed into the back of his head.

"Yes." Wily lied. "I deactivated him." He said, motioning to the receiver.

"What about his Directive, sir?" Airman asked.

Wily shrugged, "It must have been a bluff. Tell the others to suit up, we're going to have to begin Directive One, early."

As the androids left, Airman passed Guts, in the corridor, who grabbed him by the arm, pulling him aside. "What the hell did you do?" He asked.

"Zero was going to get us killed, Guts. I had to tell Wily." He responded.

"You're lower than shit." Guts whispered, "I should crush your skull, right here."

"Look, I didn't tell him about you. Zero is dead, it's better this way." Airman replied.

Guts let him go, as Wily walked out. "Gutsman, could I see you for a moment?"

They stepped aside, as Wily spoke, "Tomorrow, the Military is coming for us, there's no stopping that. I need someone intelligent, someone I can trust, to lead the machines. Can I count on you for that?"

"Of course, sir." He replied, seething inside.

After the androids were gone, Wily quickly rolled in the glass containment unit. The stasis prong only sustained power for an hour, on it's own. He needed to connect it to a constant source, immediately. He wired it to a fusion powered generator, and sealed Zero's body in the case. Clearing out the supply closet, in his private office, he stood the canister up, looking him in the eyes. "I know you can hear me, Darren." He said, "You could've ruled at my side, but you wanted to have it all. There will come a day, that I will die, and machines may inherit the Earth. But you will be here, staring at a wall. You can spend the rest of your eternity, reflecting on your treason."

The steel plating shut out the light, leaving nothing but a green glow, in his tomb. _God-like power_ , Zero thought, _locked in a wall._


	8. A Feeling You Get

Chapter 8

 **The Smithsonian- June 3, 2101**

Gutsman stood at a table, sorting his "tools". He seemed calm, as if it were a regular day for him, and for all Megaman knew, maybe it was. The Aviation Hangar was silent, it made him uneasy, like he was on his final walk. Megaman refused to let this happen, he would find a way to escape, and get back to the others. He lost hope, remembering something Miller once told him, " _People will be lost, including some of us. You need to learn that."_ The memory of Miller sank him deeper into an abyss. She was gone, and soon _he_ would be, too. Why was the world like this, the deception, the killing, the anger. Wily's machines were a reflection of everything that was evil in humanity. He felt no other emotion, lately. He wanted to desecrate everything that stood up, in front of him.

Guts turned around, facing a hate-filled Megaman. "I can tell you what you're feeling." He said. "Helplessness, anger, fear. I've seen it in everyone who's been where you are." He pulled a drill from the table, walking over. "It's always the same, but it never get's old." He smiled, now standing face to face with Megaman. "At first you think, 'This isn't the end, I'm gonna get free, make him pay!'. Then reality sets in, you panic, deflate. The despair begins to frustrate you, into a blind rage. Then you give me _that_ look." He pointed to Megaman's face, placing the small drill bit to his side. "And _that's_ my cue," he revved the drill, as the android screamed, "to bring you back, restarting the cycle."

The bit punched through, leaving a clean hole in Megaman's bottom rib. The screams became hoarse grunts, "I'm gonna fucking kill you." He growled.

Guts smiled, "See? Back to the beginning." He placed the bit to the next rib up, and began a new hole. After the yelling had slowed, he continued. "I must admit, I'm glad to have a second chance, with you. When you were human, things seemed rushed. Wily was only interested in sending a message. But androids, they are more fun than humans. More resilient." He began the hole, on the following rib.

Megaman was reeling, with pain, "Men like you are cowards." He spit out. "You think yourself _powerful_? Undo these straps! Stop hiding behind restraints and steel armor, _General_! You're no better than Wily, weak and afraid!"

This infuriated Gutsman, who dropped the drill, driving three, hard, uppercuts to his perforated ribs. " _I'm_ the coward!?" Guts punched him in the nose, bringing on a stream of bleeding. "I'm _weak_!?" He stormed back to his tools, grabbing a chisel and hammer. "I was going to kill you, in Nova Scotia!" He yelled, pointing the chisel at him, "Give you a soldier's death! But _you_ couldn't accept that! You tucked your tail and ran, letting your double die like a man! _That's_ why you're here!"

He put the chisel on Megaman's collarbone, and drove the hammer down hard.

 **The Phantom**

The mood aboard the ship was somber. Dr. Light had retreated to Tracy's personal quarters. He had taken the loss of his son, for a second time, hard. Tracy, Scott, and Rush sat in silence, at the Command Center. "Why are we just camping here?" Tracy finally asked, looking out the view port, at the still treeline. "These people have been through enough, they don't deserve to be packed in this ship all night."

Scott chewed his toothpick, quietly.

She rolled her eyes, turning toward the engine controls.

"No!" He stopped her, "We can't leave yet!"

"Why not!?" She replied, "You're being paranoid!"

"Something is _not_ right." He whispered, "I _know_ he killed Alex. I mean, look at the facts; Megaman was virtually one of the most powerful androids ever, and one mission paired with 'Maverick', who even looks like Wily, and he dies, mysteriously?"

"Scott, I know it seems odd, but things happen. I mean, it could be coincidence. Now if _both_ of you had died, then yeah, I'de probably kill him, myself, just to be sure."

Scott's eyes grew wide. "He would know that." He said. "I may be paranoid, but humor me. I'll take the ship controls, I need you to get him to the back of the Engineering Bay, find any reason..."

"Scott, this is crazy!" She cut him off.

"Just, please! Trust me, Tracy." He pleaded.

"Okay. So I take it you want him in the back right corner, of the Bay?" She responded.

"Exactly. Find a reason to get him to take his helmet off, he may be monitoring transmissions. I'm going to radio ahead, to Radcliffe." He stated.

In the Lounge, Tracy walked in, as Zero sat on the couch, still in the black and red suit. "You look really uncomfortable." She said. "Expecting a battle, on board?" She grinned.

"I'm just a little on edge." He replied. "Need to be ready for anything."

She stood over him, leaning down, "I hate to put you in danger, but I'm really gonna need to make some minor repairs, to your gear." She smiled, flirting a little, "You can always keep me company, while I work."

He stood up, removing his helmet. "That sounds like an odd request, Miss Bonne." He said, grinning.

She brushed his hair behind his ear, "Don't jump to strange conclusions, Mav. I just like a little eye candy while I work. Besides, I've seen the wayyou glance at me, perv."

He looked confused, "Your friend just died, Tracy. Shouldn't you get some rest?"

"You're right," she said, covering her face. "I just needed some kind of companionship. It was stupid of me to bother you like this." She stormed into the Engineering Bay, letting the door close behind her. She stood at the table with her back to the door, covering her face.

She smirked as the she heard the sound of the door opening. "Tracy, I'm sorry..." He began, as he walked in.

She turned around, cutting him off, pressing her lips to his. The kiss was passionate enough to make him drop his helmet, putting his arms around her. She pressed the small key, on her ring, alerting Scott, to proceed. The two continued, moving to the back of the room, as they kissed like newlyweds. She began to unzip his nanosuit. "Wait," he said, "what about your brother?"

"He's in the cockpit." She whispered, pulling his top off, and kissing his chest. She pushed him to the back wall, rubbing her fingers through his hair, as he unbuttoned her shirt.

He stopped kissing her, slowly pushing her back. "What's wrong?" She asked.

He smirked, "Your brother just sent an evacuation order." he replied.

"How do you know that?" She asked, genuinely.

He grabbed her around the throat, "I guess the jig is up. You tried to seduce me? You tried to outsmart _me_!? I am the android supreme! I am fucking Lord Zero!" He screamed psychotically, as she pressed the key frantically, fighting strangulation.

 **The Smithsonian**

Megaman hung, bloodied and exhausted. Guts had been at it for hours, and hadn't even gotten past his center mass. He needed to antagonize Guts into freeing him. It was his only chance at escape. He laughed quietly, drooling blood.

Gutsman lifted his chin, to meet his eyes. "Haven't heard from you in a while. Cracking so early?" He asked.

Megaman continued to laugh, "A while ago," he whispered, "you said I ran from you because I'm a coward." He laughed harder. "But that's not how it was. I left you to pursue a more important target."

Gutsman punched him, furiously, to the body. "I am superior to you! And you are too afraid to admit it! When you're dead, Lord Zero is going to lead us _loyal_ androids to greatness! And where will you and your friends be?!"

Megaman laughed harder, through the pain, "The only way you are superior, is when your opponent is bound. You couldn't even lead the androids yourself. Always helping the better being succeed, and that eats at you." Megaman raised his bloody head, "You were built like a warrior, but inside, you're a frightened little rat."

Guts flipped his work table in a ferocious tantrum. Trying to gather his emotions, he looked back to the android. "Fine, I've had my fun. Let's settle this." He pulled up his case, opening it, and putting on the silver gloves and boots.

"The suit, huh?" Megaman asked, prodding him. "I knew you were too soft for a fair fight."

Guts chuckled, "I'm going to kill you, regardless." He put on the sleek, silver helmet, with curving fin-like horns, and glowing red vision enhancers on the visor. Allowing him to see when armored. "But I've been itching to try out my new gear." He finished, in a chilling, robotic tone. He slapped a key, releasing the metal restraints, and Megaman charged, instantly.

He threw a running, right hook, driving the two of them to the floor. The helmet was rock-hard, sending pain through his fist when it connected. He looked over, watching Guts begin to stand. Megaman kicked the back of his knees, as they armored themselves, but still shaking the androids balance. He drove a shoulder into the android's midsection, and flipped him over his back, onto the ground. Gutsman was down, only for a second, but that was his chance. Megaman made a dash for the door, as the steel panels dropped, once again, locking him in.

"Got something better to do?" The General asked, walking up.

Megaman turned around, clenching his jaw. He sighed and simply put up his fists. The android rushed him, and grabbed his throat, throwing him across the room. He rolled to his knees, punching out a display case and pulling free a small propeller. He hurled it at his foe, but the silver armor just deflected it, into a wall.

Guts laughed, "A propeller?" He asked, as he forward-kicked Megaman's face. Reaching down, he gripped his hair, driving his fist, repeatedly, to his adversary's skull.

Things were getting foggy, as Megaman picked up a shard of glass, and swung for the neck. Once again, plating descended from the helmet, shattering the shiv and slicing his skin. He managed to leverage his legs, rolling Guts over, and raining blows down. But nothing met the android, he was only bloodying his knuckles upon steel paneling.

Guts gripped him hard, and stood to his feet. In a fit of rage, he launched the android through the air, crashing into an attack helicopter. The chopper came plummeting to the floor, along with his rival. When Megaman landed, the blades spun by, breaking on the floor. The fourth simply planted itself, diagonally, almost beheading him. He pushed up on his elbows, as Gutsman approached.

"Don't feel so bad, when I crush your skull." He began, "You _did_ get spared days of punishment." He laughed.

Megaman struggled to stand, gripping the broken shard of chopper blade, in front of him.

Guts was surprised, "Maybe I had you wrong." He stated, walking up to the damaged android. "You have some fight left in you?"

Megaman shook his head, slowly, "I can't go on fighting, I'm finished." He said, as he reversed his elbow gears, at full speed, and dropped to his back. Before Guts could process the surrender, the long chopper blade had already swung around, breaking on the opposite side of Megaman's head.

He stood, stunned for a moment, then the blood dripped, in a line, from Gutsman's neck, diagonally, down to his ribcage. His head, right pectoral, and right arm fell to the marble. They were joined seconds later, by the rest of his body.

His red vision blurred, as Megaman removed the menacing helmet, looking down at him. "I know you still have a few seconds left, General. And I can tell you what your feeling, defeat." Gutsman hated the android with immeasurable passion, as he left the world forever.


	9. Picking Up the Pieces

Chapter 9

 **The Phantom**

Tracy's vision was fading, as she looked her assailant in the eyes. They burned with hatred. _Scott was right._ Were her last thoughts, as she drifted away.

The butt of the baton, caught him square in the temple, causing Zero to stumble back, dropping the girl. In the split millisecond of distraction, Protoman quick-dashed into his chest, catching his sister, before she hit the floor. Zero moved to retaliate, but there was a blur, and the Bonnes were feet away.

Protoman yanked the handle beside the android, magnetically, causing a pair of reinforced glass panels to drop, separating the back corner of the room, from the lab. Zero found himself detaching from the ship, in the emergency escape pod, falling to the earth below.

Protoman was on his knees, holding Tracy's body, as he tapped her face rapidly. "No, no, no, no. C'mon Tron! Wake up!" He panicked. She lay lifeless and pale. He grunted as he pounded on her chest, hopelessly. "No!" He screamed in her face, as people began to gather, looking on. "You can't go, now! I still need you!" He continued pumping on her chest. "Wake up!" He yelled.

The sharp inhale was music to his ears, as she gasped for air. He hugged her, lifting her from the floor, as the people cheered. "I'm sorry, Tron." He whispered, in her ear. "This is my fault."

"It's okay," She replied, winded, "you were right, Scott. He killed Megaman."

He let her go, as she caught her breath. "What went wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head, "Somehow, he knew everything you were doing, in the cockpit. But he didn't even have his helmet on." She replied, baffled.

Scott was confused. Then he looked to her shirt. "Speaking of which," he began, "I told you to get his _helmet_ off, not take him on an X-rated adventure, in the Engineering Bay!"

She rolled her eyes, "Jesus, Scott. I'm not a kid anymore. You _wanted_ him distracted, it worked."

"And what if everything had gone smoothly?" He asked. "It's three more hours, to Syracuse."

"Look, Scott. I didn't actually think he was a homicidal psychopath. I was humoring you! And yes, spending these passed couple of months, packed into this ship, I was starting to like him!"

Scott scoffed, "Win-win, right?"

"Don't be a dick." She responded, storming out.

He looked over, to the picture tacked up on the work table. She was eight, he was twelve, they were pretending to choke each other, with their tongues hanging out, clownishly. He began to feel like an alpha-class asshole. They had been fighting for their lives, since she was sixteen. And at nineteen, she was left to survive, on her own. Since then, she had dedicated her life, to bringing him back, and ultimately, working to achieve _his_ dream. And here he was, scolding her for, once again, helping him, but making a decision for her own wanting.

He walked into the cockpit, to apologize, when he saw Light and Tron, frantically conversing. She looked over to him, as Light ran to the controls. "Scott, it's Alex! We just got a burst transmission, from the Smithsonian. He's alive!"

 **The Smithsonian**

Megaman had just enough strength, to dig out Gutsman's core chip, with a shard of broken propeller. He laid down, next to the severed quarter of the body, ready to go into _standby_. His head was swimming, then his eyes snapped open. _Maverick!_ He thought.

He fumbled his way to the metal storage chest, praying that his gear was inside. The helmet was, Guts must have intended to keep it as a trophy. He fell to the floor, as he put it over his head.

"I hope someone gets this, in time. But we are compromised. Maverick is not an ally, get away from him as soon as possible! Do not engage! He has the Atlas. Run!" He transmitted. His body had taken too much damage, causing his system to shut off.

When Tracy, Protoman, and Light had entered the exhibit, they saw the damaged Megaman, half-naked, on the floor. He was littered with holes and missing pieces of flesh. His face was bloody and split in several places. Tracy gasped, at the sight, as Proto tapped her shoulder, pointing across the room. In a pond of blood, lied two pieces of Gutsman.

"You've gotta be shitting me." She whispered.

"He killed the General," Protoman added, in awe, "in his underwear."

"Under normal circumstances, this would be cause for celebration." Dr. Light said, reaching to lift Megaman, "But it appears, we have only severed _one_ head if the serpent. The other won't prove so easy."

They rolled the android, back to the ship, taking him into Tracy's Repair Bay. It would take days to undo the damage that Guts had inflicted.

Tracy and Light sat, looking at the holo displays, "So, we should assume that everything in our system is compromised." Stated Dr. Light.

Tracy put her hands over her face, "We've got a lot of cleaning to do, don't we?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Light sighed, "We're going to have to strip the system, down to core functioning." He said, "Including the gear. He's had access to the Internal Android Functioning System. And proved to us, that he can control it."

"we're back at square one." Tracy said, defeated, "And what if he still has access, after all of this?"

Light shook his head, "He shouldn't. The Atlas was only designed for machines linked to Wily's network. And even with the total control that he has, he still needs to be linked to an outside system. You remember how willing he was to be hooked to our servers?"

She nodded, slowly, "Worth a shot, right?" She added. She tapped a few keys, and let out a sigh, "Fuck it." she said, pressing the final confirmation, as the files disappeared.

 **Somewhere In Virginia**

The pod flipped and spun, through the wooded area, throwing Zero around, like a ragdoll. He tried to use magnetism, to steady himself, but as powerful as he was, he simply had no control over gravity. Protoman had made sure not to activate the pod controls, before throwing the switch. He would make sure to personally thank him for _that_.

He scanned to find the nearest officer. He would need a ride across the country. There was no need to pursue getting the humans back, chances were they were in the wind, by now. And his former friends were smart enough to wipe their servers, after his departure. It was of no concern to him, they would more than likely come for him, and he could finish the job, on his own terms.

He reached out to his General, but got no response. This slightly concerned him, Guts may have had his hands full, at the moment. He would try again, later. Zero began walking west.


	10. Fail Safes

Chapter 10

 **The White House- 1 Year Earlier**

The hulking suit of heavy armor emerged from under the rubble. It retracted, as Gutsman stood, searching for the android he was prepared to terminate. Megaman was gone, and the running patter of boots told him that Wily had been captured.

Dropping a balcony on a man was a nasty move, and he knew _exactly_ who was behind it. If he hadn't picked up the familiar beeping, of a crash-bomb, seconds before the explosion, he would have been dead. "Fucking Bonnes." He muttered to himself. Swearing wasn't his style, but the duo was _really_ beginning to test his patience. _If only I had confirmed that pest's death, two years ago._ He thought. He would _not_ make that mistake twice.

He didn't have time to waste, though. He needed to get to the Central Terminal, before the rebels hacked into Wily's master account. Carefully edging his way toward the Oval Office, he came across two commandos, setting up defense posts. The rebels had taken the White House, he was officially behind enemy lines. He snuck up behind the two, and snapped their necks, quetly, dumping their bodies in an adjacent room. He was in luck, the enemy hadn't gotten to Main Servers yet. He sealed the door, removing his helmet.

He plugged the transfer cable, from the main port, into his upload slot. Typing in Wily's Administrative Access code, which hadn't changed in years, he waited, impatiently, as the upload proceeded.

If the rebels found out that Wily Industries was being made operational again, they would swarm it, before he had a chance to formulate a defense. Guts only hoped that Wily would hold out, at least until he could be rescued. With Quickman dead, there was no way to alert the other officers, at the moment. Guts would have to issue a mass order, personally, once he had control transferred to his headgear.

When the upload was complete, he put on his helmet and smashed the machinery into tiny fragments. He made his way, into his former office, grabbing his "go bag" and heading out the door. He depressed a small key, under the light switch, sparking and igniting the room, into flames. Even the most confident and powerful men needed an exit strategy, and his had paid off.

The fire alarms blared, as he put on his long, black coat, and headed across the grass. Once he arrived at the Eisenhower Executive Office building, he changed clothes, and began to check on the Wily Industries data. Everything was still functioning normally, work bots reported regularly, repairs were moving along well, even power was functioning.

Output readings were all showing stable, except one anomaly. There was a separate, extremely small, current within the flow of normal current. He pulled up it's status, as his eyes filled with anger. It had been circulating current since October 22, 2088, forty-five minutes after his mentor was "killed".

Wily had been lying this whole time. He was keeping Zero alive, because he needed the Directive to stay inactive. Which meant, he never had control over the androids at all. Wily had been holding a bluff over their heads, all these years.

These power hungry humans, and their android pawns needed to be dealt with. There were too many beings, with too many motives, standing between him, and the resurrection of android supremacy. He pulled up his interface, and ordered the Initiative. _That should thin the opposition out, a little. He thought._

 **Boston, Massachusetts**

Coming over the horizon, he could see that his officers were quick to capitalize on the bounties. He stood, staring out the main viewport, while Astroman piloted the aircraft. He admired the destruction, for a moment, before seeing an always troublesome sight. The Phantom came around, from the opposite side of Light Tower. _The Bonnes_ , he though, irritatedly. It seemed as if they only lived, just to inconvenience him.

"Astro, bring _that_ ship down, now!" He ordered.

"Copy, Sir." He replied, reaching into the turret holo. But before he could attack, The Phantom had blasted away, full speed, across the ocean, pursuing two, small, flying, figures. "What do you suppose _that_ was about, Sir?" Astro asked.

"As long as they're gone, I'm not concerned." Guts replied, "Have your drillbots reported in yet?"

"They were planting in five minutes ago, Sir. They should be ready when you are." Astro responded.

Excellent." The General said, pulling the detonating device, from his coat pocket. "Circle the building and fire on the top floor. I want to be sure this _Megaman_ dies, before he can make matters worse."

After twenty minutes of peppering the building, Astro turned to Guts, "Sir, he doesn't seem to be taking the bait, and neither Skullman nor Gemini is responding. What is our move?"

"A straightforward ambush will cause a foe to retreat. But an ambush from above will, almost assuredly, bring him up, to meet you." Guts quoted.

"Um..." Astro said, looking confused.

Guts rolled his eyes, "Just give it a few more minutes." He said.

After a moment, Megaman had shown his face. Guts opened the side hatch, holding the handrail, watching on. The android fought valiantly against the gunners, then locked eyes with him. Guts smiled, as he blew the structure out from under him. He gazed as the skyscraper fell into the ocean, like a beautiful disaster-piece. " _That's_ how you stop a revolution." He said to himself.

 **Wily Industries- Months Later**

Guts was livid. He had fallen victim to a cowardly stall tactic, not to mention the loss of an eye. He stomped up the stairwell, as the automatic fire broke the silence, outside. He picked up the pace, moving to the Executive Offices. The doors opened to mounted turrets, opening fire on him. His armor jumped into place, covering him completely. The bolts bounced off of him, as he walked up, crushing the guns in his gauntlets. Security droids ran from the rooms, trying desperately to get through his defenses. They easily fell victim to his crushing blows. Like insects, he ripped them apart, as he maneuvered the corridors

Reaching Wily's office, he stopped. _What if years of solitude had warped Zero's mind?_ He thought. _What if he suspects me of his betrayal?_ He turned back to the main computer, pulling up the interface. _A good soldier should prepare for anything._ He thought as he back engineered a root program, to corrupt the atlas signal. _Can't be too careful._

He put the data card into his pocket, before pulling back the paneling, in the office corner. Zero was bathed in a green glow, frozen in place. He pulled the power supply from the wall, shrouding the room in darkness. "Hail to the King." He whispered, as Zero turned, looking upon him.

On Guts' ship, he sent a private message, to his most loyal Major. Informing him that he would be bringing him something very valuable, something he would need to protect with his life, and pray he would never have to use it.


	11. Contributions

Chapter 11

 **The Phantom**

The drives were cleared, all information and scout reports gone. Tracy and Dr. Light stared at the holo console's "Welcome" screen, feeling defeated. All of the prototype and used equipment had been destroyed, to ensure that Zero had no leverage over their androids.

Tracy sighed, "Well, now what, Doctor?" She asked.

"We begin again. The two of us. In time, we will be able to go back on the offense." He answered.

" _Time_ is something we, unfortunately, don't have, Preston. It won't be long, before Directive Zero is complete." She said, rubbing her temples.

"That shouldn't be an issue." Megaman said, standing in the doorway.

They turned around, to see him in black sweatpants and no shirt. "Alex!" They both exclaimed, standing up.

"How long have I been down?" He asked.

"Three weeks." Light replied, "Zero corrupted our system, we had to wipe everything out."

"Dammit." Megaman muttered, "Was anything salvageable?"

"Not a bit." Tracy answered, "We're back to the beginning."

Megaman pulled a chip, from his pocket, "Maybe not _all the way_ back." He replied.

"Holy shit!" She shouted, "Is that who I think it is?"

He nodded, inserting it into the port, beginning the upload. They stood in awe, at the sheer amount of classified files. The data continued to flow in, including a multitude of Wily's private intel. Code-names, locations, passwords, private messages. You name it, Guts had it.

Tracy tapped Light on the shoulder, "Call Scott up here. We need to get to work, immediately."

"Hey guys!" Megaman said, pointing to a holo-file labeled "Atlas Fail-safe". "It looks like we may have found an easier way of dealing with things."

Over the next week, Scott and Alex studied the layout of the Pentagon, and it's resident, while Tracy and Light worked, tirelessly, on their nanosuits and headgear.

"So, if the General had no trouble creating this 'shutdown protocol', why didn't Wily just do it to begin with?" Scott asked.

"My guess is, that Wily was too obsessed with trying to get back into the program, that he would rather his androids kill him, than to give up the Atlas completely." Alex explained.

"So, this won't actually _kill_ Zero?" Scott asked, "Or anyone, for that matter?"

Alex shook his head, "No, it won't." He responded, "What it _will_ do, is render all of Wily's officers powerless, including Zero."

Scott smirked, "All androids, created equal." He finished.

Tron came in, rolling a cart, "Alright boys, new gear is finished." She said, tossing them the black nanosuits. "Alex, your accessories have been configured, with the General's tech. Enjoy the art of full-body, retractable, armor, modified to actually allow you to move. You may have lost all of your acquired abilities, but you've got the one that matters the most."

"So, basically, I'm screwed." Scott commented.

She turned to him, "You're back on stealth and support, being that's your specialty. You won't be walking into the lion's den, anymore." She tossed him his hilt, "Plus, I reconstructed your hilt, using the same material that Gutsman's armor was made with."

"Awesome." He said, simply.

She shook her head, "Go suit up, the Pentagon isn't far from here."

 **The Pentagon**

The once military structure, now served as a base, for security droids. The entire building was full of them, and they were all overseen and tended to by Hardman. The officer considered himself Guts' protege and confidant.

He wore the same heavy armor as his mentor, colored in black, with dark blue trim. He stood in what used to be the sector for the U.S. Navy, putting the final piece of silver chest armor on one of his minions.

Lord Zero and Gutsman had pledged for android supremacy, but lately, it seemed like things were moving in the opposite direction. For thirteen years, machines had ruled, without incident. And in a short few years, over twenty of his brothers had fallen. He wasn't one to question his leaders, but he knew bad math when he saw it.

The screech of alarms snapped him to attention. _So I guess it's my turn._ He thought, as he activated his, seemingly endless, ranks of alphas. The red eyes lit up, as he wondered who had come for him. The Megaman, or the Bonnes? He shuddered, at the thought of the latter, they were troublesome, to say the least. He had just finished repairing the damage they had done, during their thwarted attempt on an act of terrorism, toward him. But Megaman, he was a more serious cause for concern. He was an ice-cold assassin, no matter what he wanted to call himself, these days.

The security feed revealed his intruder, clad in a sleek, black nanosuit, with dark blue accessories, and a burning fury in his eyes.

Megaman didn't bother to hide his arrival. Time was a little scarce for planning, at this point. He would have to settle for a classic "snatch and grab".

He ripped open the door, to the north side entrance, tripping alarms. The security droids filled the open space, in no time. As they rained bolts upon him, the light blue armor materialized, covering his body. A face shield came around, from the sides of his helmet, leaving two, small openings, for his eyes.

The bolts bounced off of him, harmlessly, as he raised his left arm. His hand became a rotating machine-gun, mowing down all that stood before him, illuminating the corridors with their sparking fragments. The armor retracted, as he made his way to the Naval Hangar.

The doors opened, to a sea of droids, flooding over him. He covered up, springing his armor into place. Grabbing the bladed forearm, of one of his attackers, he ripped it free, slashing at the crowd. The sparks flew from the steel, as the bots tried, desperately, to break through his shell.

Through the melee, he saw his target, raising a huge fist, pointed toward him. From across the room, dozens of droids were thrown about, as the fist rocketed, from Hardman's arm. He was hit, hard, in the chest, being knocked to the ground he opened fire on the group, closing in on him.

The massive blue gloves grabbed him, around his head, picking him up. He wasted no time delivering three, stiff, forearm blows to the android's jaw, before landing back to the ground. He took three steps back, shoving armored forearm blows, to the skulls of the surrounding alphas, clearing room to move. Hardman's heavy armor protected him, but like Guts, made it difficult to maneuver. Megaman, however, had been lucky enough to be outfitted with a newer, more mobile version of the suit. It also helped that the officer's gear wasn't retractable.

Megaman shuffled around the Major, landing quick blows, to his face, before changing positions. Short bursts of fusion fire thinned out the security droids, while the officer made attempts to catch him, with large, swiping blows.

"Megaman, I've located the 'fail-safe' drive." Protoman said, over comms. "Keep them busy, for a minute, while I take care of Phase Two."

Megaman rolled back, shooting directly for Hardman's face, now. The left fist came flying for his chest, as he contorted to avoid it. The right hand had crossed his flank, gripping his throat, and pulling him back over to his foe. He was welcomed with a nasty headbutt, dropping him to the floor. Had his face armor not been there, his sensors would be dust.

"Alright!" Protoman said, "That's game. Wrap it up, Megaman."

Hardman bent down, to pick Megaman up, when he raised his legs, wrapping them around the officer's neck, and clutching his wrist. Megaman rolled him to the ground, twisting the elbow backwards. Hardman yelled out, as a boot came down, across his face.

Megaman rolled to his feet, looking down at his dizzied opponent. "You can die knowing, that you were a large contribution, to saving the New World from your _Lord_." He said, coldly.

Hardman chuckled, spitting blood down his face, "And who will contribute, to saving it from _you, Machine_?" He asked.

Megaman scowled, at the remark, before stomping the android's head in.

He boarded The Phantom, saying nothing. He took off his helmet and sat in the lounge, imagining all the ways that he could end Zero's existence. If all went according to plan, he could be the new android Lord, the most powerful being on Earth. Protoman could be his Knight, as Lord Megaman, ruler of the New World. He smiled at the thought.

Protoman and Rush walked in, plopping down beside him. "Hey, wanna see something cool?" Scott asked, as he always did before he blew something up. He switched the holo display, to an aerial view of the Pentagon, as he pressed the key, on his black device. The structure exploded into a mass of fire and dust. The shock-wave rocked The Phantom, from yards away.

The three looked on, grinning. _One giant leap, for mankind._ Protoman thought, as Megaman stared in awe. _Before long, Lord Zero will kneel to_ me. He imagined.


	12. One Shot at Life

Chapter 12

"Alright people," Tron said, walking into the Command Center, as Rush cocked his head, "and...dog. This is it. Scott and Rush will take the Fail-safe to the Atlas Command Tower. Alex, we'll be dropping you at Alcatraz. Light has already put the calls through the proper channels, to the Canadians. We are all on standby until the virus is uploaded." She looked at around, at the others, "We've got one shot, at saving humanity, then we can have our lives back. That's all." She finished.

Scott stood up and hugged her, as he and Rush dove out of the side hatch, flying north.

Light walked over to Megaman, "Alex, if anyone has the ability to save this country, it's you. Be careful out there, son."

Megaman nodded, "This is what I was made for, Doctor." He replied.

 **Alcatraz**

"Megaman is in position." Tron stated, over comms, as he repelled down, to the island.

Protoman came through, next, "Hey Alex, _Welcome to The Rock._ " He said, in his best Sean Connery impression, breaking the tension, a little.

Before getting three steps toward the prison, the harpy droids flooded the skies, screeching horrendously.

"Okay," Light said, "getting started early!"

Tron rushed to the turret controls, putting on her gloves. Only two were fully repaired, but it was better than nothing. Large amounts of the flying attackers were blown to pieces, while more continued to emerged.

Megaman made his way to the back entrance, while shooting up, at the pests. One attempted, foolishly, to snatch him from the ground. He reached up, crushing it's demonic skull, in his palms. He jumped off the wall, grabbing the feet of another, and swung it against the building.

The Phantom circled the island, mowing down the hoard. "Go ahead, Megaman." Tron said, "Preston and I can handle these guys."

Opening the door, using Gutsman's access code, he walked into the staff offices. He scanned the rooms, suspiciously, finding no sentries. He proceeded, with caution.

 **Seattle, Washington**

Protoman and Rush could see the Seattle Space Needle, in the distance. The once tourist attraction, had now served as the beacon, for the Atlas' transmissions. This information had been a very well-kept secret, until now. As they neared closer, the tower appeared abandoned. He could actually see right through it. The inside was hollow. He looked on, confused, when something struck his head. He fell from the dog's back, into the open air. Bolts and fire rained down on him, from seemingly nowhere. He ejected his shield, taking cover, as he plummeted faster.

Rush dove down, rocketing toward his master, catching him feet from the cement. Protoman dropped to his feet, shooting fusion discs, up from behind his shield. He looked, seeing sparks fly, from thin air, while the ground cracked on it's own.

A pea-sized green light caught his eye, amongst the chaos. The realization hit him. He turned his arm, firing on the projection box. The device disintegrated, as he found himself looking up, at hundreds of small, dragon-like, droids, circling the tower. "Cute." He stated plainly, looking over to his canine.

 **Alcatraz**

Entering the D-Block, of the prison, Megaman began hearing the disturbing sounds of robotic moaning. In the darkness, were the glow of red dots, gazing from behind the bars. He jumped, as the crackling of the loud speakers came on.

"Megaman," Zero's voice called out, "I have to admit, I was expecting the _other_ android. But seeing you here explains why I haven't been able to reach my General. That displeases me a great deal."

"The feeling won't last long, if that's any consolation." Megaman replied.

"Oh, I have no doubt, that I'll be seeing you soon. Until then, enjoy the company of the precious humans that you failed to save." Zero responded.

The cell doors swung back, on all levels, pouring out thousands of zombie-like cyborgs. The humans had been gutted, and their insides replaced with wires and tubing. Their brains were implanted with core chips, programmed for one thing, "kill". They swarmed him like ravaging fire ants, as his armor encased him. He closed the eye-shutters, to fully protect himself, as he punched and fired, blindly.

Trying to run through the mass, he was pulled to the floor. He could hear the muffled growls, and scratching on the steel suit, as they piled on top of him. He opened fire, in every direction, as the weight grew heavier. The sounds of meat and bone, meeting concrete became deafening. Megaman lifted himself, amongst the hoard, spraying bolts at what he assumed was head-level.

The bodies continued to fall to the ground, as he slowly shoulder-pushed his way through the mob. He reached a cell door, pulling a bar free. He began making horizontal sweeps, smashing skulls and bone, with ease.

When enough breathing room had been made, he raised his eye shutters. The room was a large pool of blood and gore. The remaining cyborgs attempted gouging at his eyes. He charged his BSTR and fired, blowing a hole through several of them, in a row.

He walked the cell block, bashing the heads of stragglers. When he reached the doors, he looked back at the massacre, then to the security camera. He gave Zero an intense stare, before exiting.

 **Seattle, Washington**

Protoman twirled his staff, batting away at the whelps, as Rush flew toward the top of the needle. The creatures spit bursts of fire at him, as he weaved his way through, shooting them down.

Talons dug into his shoulders, yanking him from his dog. Protoman fired a trio of discs, into the open mouth of the beast, as Rush flew underfoot. Reaching the top of the structure, he dove through the glass, crashing to the floor. The machinery lit the massive room, like a Christmas decoration. He walked over to the Main console, inserting the Fail-safe, as Rush began to growl.

Dressed in a blue nanosuit, with black gauntlets and a matching, spiked helmet, Needleman emerged, from around the back wall. The android grinned with black eyes, and sharp, titanium teeth. He was joined by another officer, known as Slashman, who's wildly spiked, auburn hair almost matched his orange nanosuit, covered by a black jacket that went well with the fingerless gloves, and steel headband.

Protoman whistled, ordering Rush to leave the area. The dog whined, then jumped out the window, flying to safety. When the reinforced shutters dropped, Protoman activated the upload, as the consoles sealed themselves, lowering into the floor. He ejected his staff, as the three stared each other down, "So we gonna get to this, or what?" He asked.

Slashman sprang razor-sharp blades, from his fingers and arms, as Needleman projected dozens of spikes, to meet him. Protoman deployed his shield, charging in, firing on Slash, while driving hard, into Needle's chest. The android fell backward, as the shield became a staff, spinning and deflecting the other's frenzied claw swipes. Diverting the blows, he shoved Slash back, thrusting the butt of the staff into Needleman's face, as he tried to stand.

The feral android jumped toward him, intending to impale Protoman, from above. Spinning right, he broke the staff down, into nunchucks, battering his foe, from behind. Proto swept the android's shin, driving him face-first to the floor, when he was struck, from the side.

Needleman had brought him down, with a sharp shoulder tackle. The spikes punctured his nanosuit, causing him to yell out. It was like being hugged by a metallic blow fish. He shoved his elbow back, repeatedly, against the officer's head, until he was released. Rolling back, bleeding, he was quick to swing his baton backward, taking a charging Slash, off his feet.

He stood, tiredly, backing away. Holding his side, Proto moved in, kicking Needleman across the face. He checked the progress, on his heads-up display, twenty-two percent. Sighing, he ejected his staff, once again, as the two rose to their feet.

 **Alcatraz**

Tracy and Preston had gunned down all of the harpies, clearing the sky. They turned their attention to the ground forces. "Tron," Protoman commed, "if you can break free, I may need a hand, in Seattle, soon."

She heard fighting and the clanks of metal clashing, in the background. "What's going on there, Scott?" She asked.

"I'm kinda locked, inside the tower, with a couple of hostile androids." He replied, grunting, "Hold on, a sec." The sounds of a melee continued, for a moment, "Okay, I'm back. I may need help, getting out of here." He finished.

"On our way." She answered, turning the ship around.

Entering the large area, of the upper level, Megaman was face to face, with Zero. The android was clad, in his white body armor, with red trim, and an automatic sub-machine gun holstered on each thigh, with a five foot katana sheathed across his back. His white and red crown sat draped across his brow, where his long, blonde hair hung down, over his shoulders, as his glowing green eyes glared at Megaman.

"Here we are." Stated Zero, walking toward him, "Two artificial life-forms, set to do battle for the fate of the human race, blah blah blah, so on and so forth." He laughed, "Delusions of grandeur, _that's_ what gets them all, in the end, every time."

Megaman's light blue armor covered his body, slowly. "Every one of Wily's officers has had that same misconception. They all believed that they could win. _I_ am what got them, in the end. You are no different." He said.

Zero smirked, "How fitting," he said, "you'll get to see the end from their perspective, this time." He drew his sword, pointing it at his foe's face, and blasting a bolt of lightning down the blade.

Megaman's suit absorbed most of the electricity, as he ran toward his opponent, opening fire. Zero moved with blink-like speed, leaving burning grooves in the blue plating. His sword lit ablaze, as Megaman slapped aside the incoming slashes. Before being struck in the stomach, and whipped to the floor, by his head. The sword came down, aimed for his eye, as he rolled clear, firing back, at nothing.

Zero had moved to the other side of him, grabbing his left arm, arm spinning him off the floor. The room swerved by, before he was released, crashing through the barred window, into the night sky. Something gripped Megaman, mid-air, and he was being pulled back inside, quickly. Zero gave him a quick jolt of electricity, before drawing his SMGs and laying a volley, of fire into the soaring android's chest. The armor deflected the bolt, as Zero drove the butt of the gun, into his face, flipping him out of the air.

Holstering his weapons, Zero drew his sword, "Get up." He said, harshly, putting the tip of the blade under Megaman's chin armor. "We aren't even close to 'finished'."

Megaman stood, slowly. He wasn't sure how much longer he could continue to be abused. But he had to hold out, the world would need him. He raised his gauntlets, to his adversary, who chuckled at him. Zero came in with another barrage, slicing off small pieces of steel, from Megaman's shell, exposing flesh. The android raised his palm, sending a searing blast of heat to the open area, causing his foe to scream, behind the mask. He picked him up. Magnetically, throwing him to the ceiling. When gravity brought Megaman back down, the blade slashed across his sternum, drawing blood from beneath the armor. On his hands and knees, he looked up at Zero, who drove a boot to his face.

 **Seattle, Washington**

Protoman swung his baton, violently, as he barely fended off the slashing attackers. The three of them were bloodied and injured, like rabid beasts. Slash landed three of his claws into Protoman's chest. The android grabbed the bladed arm, flipping him over, snapping the elbow. Slash screamed, almost like a roar, as Needleman fired two spikes into his foe's knees.

Protoman writhed in pain, pulling the needles out and trying to stand. _Upload complete_ flashed green in his HUD, as Slash impale him, before the claws fizzled, into fusion embers. The android called the console back up, rushing to remove the program, from the system.

The Phantom approached the Space Needle, and Tron could see Rush, attacking the group of whelp droids. Light opened the side hatch, as Tracy let out a whistle. The canine turned and made his way onto the ship. "We got it from here boy." She said, as Light operated the turrets, disintegrating the dragons. "Scott, what's the situation inside?" She asked.

Protoman lay on the floor, bleeding badly, as the two officers worked to undo the Fail-safe. "Tron, when I give you the signal, contact the Canadians." He wiped the blood, from his face, "I've gotta take care of these two."

"Scott, what's going on? Just hold on, we can get you out." She replied.

"There's no time, Tron. They have backup servers, they're going to be back up any second now." He responded.

"Scott, wait! You don't have to keep fighting them, if they're distracted! Just give us a minute!" She yelled.

"Who said anything about fighting?" He asked. "Get back to Alcatraz, and comm the Canadians. I love you, Tracy." He removed his helmet, and looked to the officers, "Hey!" They turned to look at him, as he stood up, "You guys wanna see something cool?" He asked, reaching into his pocket.

Tracy screamed, as Light took the controls. The bottom of the tower exploded, bringing the massive structure falling to the Earth. Tracy stood at the view port, banging on the glass, crying frantically, as the top crashed into the streets, crushing on impact. Light tried to calm her, as she fell to the floor. Rush barked and whined at the window, but Protoman was gone. All they could do now, was finish the mission.

 **Across the Country**

Gutsman's chip had provided them with the location of every android officer created. After negotiations with the Canadian Army, Light got them to agree to helping, hunt them down. At that moment, platoons of Special Force Units waited, outside of every location. When the signal came over the comms, they moved in, quickly, eliminating every remaining Wily creation.

 **Alcatraz**

Zero laughed, as he continuously electrocuted Megaman's writhing body. The android fought through the pain, standing to his feet. Zero raised his other palm, to add fire to the attack, when nothing happened. The crackling had ceased, as well. He drew his sword, confused to find that it was just that, a sword. No fire, no electricity, no diamond coating, just a blade. He seethed with rage, "What have you done?!" Zero screamed.

Megaman charged, thrusting a shoulder to his gut, and picking him up. Zero wrapped the android's neck, using the momentum to flip over, attempting to snap it. He landed to his feet, but the armor was still resilient. Megaman only bent backward, he wrapped Zero's waist and flipped him back over, smashing him into the floor.

Zero, lying on his back, threw a kick, back at Megaman's head, only dinging off the helmet. His opponent grabbed his throat, and threw him, like a discus, out the doors, and down the stairs. Stalking toward his prey, Megaman picked up the dropped katana, twirling it, as he neared closer. He jumped down to the landing, attempting to behead Zero. The android rolled out of the way, as he was greeted with a boot to his gut. The blow sent him over the railing, into the body-littered cell block.

When Megaman dropped down, to continue the assault, Zero had drawn his guns, but they only fired fusion rounds, that bounced off, uselessly. "What have you done to my power!?" Zero screamed at him.

Megaman only walked toward him, giving him no explanation. Zero tried to dodge the flurry of slashes, but without his superhuman speed, he couldn't adjust to quick combat. Suit cut to ribbons, he fell back against the bars, of a cell door, where Megaman banged his skull repeatedly, against the steel. His headgear snapped, falling to the floor. His bloody hair hung, messily, over his face. His foe pulled it up, to look into his eyes. "Hail to the King." Were the only words Megaman uttered, before driving the blade through Zero's head.

The building was silent. The Phantom had arrived, piloted by Dr. Light. "It's done!" He yelled ecstatically. "Alex we've won! We did it!"

Megaman walked by him, silently, handing him Zero's head, then making his way to his personal quarters. He sat down in the dark, as he took off his helmet. _It's over._ He thought. No one to hunt, no one to eliminate. The humans had their lives back, but what did he have? He grew irritated and confused, feeling like he had no place in the New World. All there was, was to protect the humans, but from what? Other humans? They would grow to fear and eventually, hate him, for what he was. A _Machine_. They were fickle beings, humans. And soon they would turn on him. He wouldn't let that become his fate.

Light sat with Tracy in the cockpit. She stared blankly, out the window.

"Tracy, I'm sorry about Scott. He did what he thought, would give you a chance, at a free life. Without being afraid, without running. As much as it hurts, he would have never left you, if he didn't feel it was the only way." Light said.

She wiped her cheeks, "I know. He was always looking out for me, you know, since the beginning. And I've mourned him three times, now." She chuckled, awkwardly. "I think he would tell me to get over it, already." She smiled, petting Rush. "But hey, I've still got his sort-of dog."

The two stood up, to check on Alex, when they found the remaining escape pod missing. They ran into the Engineering Bay, in a panic, where they found the holo note.

 _Dr. Light/ Tracy_

 _I'm glad to have brought you this New World, but I can't be a part of it. There's nothing left for a "Megaman" here. So I've decided to go where I can't be a danger to others. It's time I began a life of my own, and I hope you understand. Don't try and find me. I just want to be myself, whoever that is._

 _Goodbye_

Tracy looked to Light, "What should we do? I can track the pod."

He only smiled, shaking his head, "That's not necessary. My son was forced to be at my side, his entire life. I think it's time he finally moved out."

Tracy smirked, "That's one hell of a kid, ya got there, Dr. Light." She said

He smiled, proudly, "Yes, he is." He replied.


End file.
